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BISHOP   ISAAC    LANE.    LL.D. 

(  AT   EIGHTY-TWO  YEARS  OF    AGE) 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY 


Bishop  Isaac  Lane,  LL.D. 


SHORT  HISTORY  OF  THE  C.  M.  E.  CHURCH 
IN  AMERICA  AND  OF  METHODISM 


3 


Printed  for  the  Author 

Publishing  House  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  South 

Nashville,  Tenn, 

1916 


COPYRIGHT,  I916 

BY 

ISAAC   LANE 


DEDICATION 

To  the  many  hundreds  of   young  men  and  young  women  of   my 
Church  and  race  who  need  encouragement  and  inspiration; 
to  my  Church  in  general,  and  the  ministers  in  partic- 
ular, whom  I  have  served  as  pastor,  presiding 
elder,  and  bishop  for  a  period  covering 
more  than  sixty  years;  and  to  the 
reading  public  in  general 

THIS    LITTLE   VOLUME    IS    MOST    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 


PREFACE. 

In  writing  this  little  book  the  purpose  of  the  au- 
thor is  to  narrate  in  a  brief  manner  the  most  impor- 
tant events  in  his  own  life,  give  a  short  biographical 
sketch  of  the  early  bishops  of  the  Colored  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  in  America  who  were  his  con- 
temporaries, and  at  the  same  time  point  out  some  of 
the  conditions  and  circumstances  attendant  upon  the 
organization  of  his  Church.  The  author  has  set  his 
hands  to  this  task,  using  such  manuscripts  and  docu- 
ments as  he  has  in  his  possession  and  relying  very 
largely  upon  his  own  memory  for  much  material 
which  he  has  used  freely.  He  was  a  witness,  if  not 
a  party,  to  every  important  movement  in  the  Church 
from  its  very  organization  to  the  present  time. 
What  contribution  he  has  made  to  its  progress  and 
development  he  is  perfectly  willing  for  others  to  es- 
timate and  record,  but  suffice  it  for  him  to  say  that 
he  has  done  what  he  could  for  his  Church  and  for 
the  race. 

In  this  work  the  author  has  had  the  encourage- 
ment of  a  great  many  ministers  and  laymen  who 
have  insisted  upon  his  putting  in  permanent  form 
some  of  the  historical  data  that  he  has  used  so  often 
in  his  sermons,  addresses,  and  lectures.  This  he  has 
felt  free  to  do. 

While  selecting  the  material  for  this  book  the 
author  has  kept  constantly  in  mind  two  classes  of 

5 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

persons  who  may  read  it — viz. :  ( I )  The  young  men 
of  the  Church  who  should  be  acquainted  with  the 
struggles  of  their  Church  in  its  infancy,  the  ambi- 
tion of  the  founders  (their  sacrifices,  failures,  and 
successes),  and  who  wrant  to  get  a  clear  understand- 
ing of  the  special  mission  of  their  Church  in  the 
world,  its  purpose  and  its  polity.  (2)  The  other 
class  of  persons  whom  the  author  has  held  in  mind 
is  the  reading  public  at  large.  I  refer  to  that  great 
body  of  intelligent  men  and  women  who  want  infor- 
mation concerning  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America,  along  with  the  other  great  ec- 
clesiastical organizations  having  for  their  purpose 
the  saving  of  the  people.  The  author  realizes  that  it 
is  very  difficult  for  many  well-meaning  persons  to 
understand  why  there  was  ever  a  demand  made  for 
the  organization  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America,  and  still  more  difficult  for  many 
to  understand  its  relation  to  other  Methodist 
Churches,  and  especially  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South.  A  studious  effort,  it  appears,  has 
been  made  to  impress  the  world  that  this  Church  was 
"set  up  and  off"  contrary  to  the  wishes  and  desires 
of  the  members.  Our  records  show  that  such  was 
not  the  case.  Several  of  our  Annual  Conferences 
formally  and  openly  petitioned  for  an  independent 
body  regularly  organized  and  properly  manned,  and 
it  was  upon  these  petitions  and  in  keeping  with  them 
that  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  took 
action. 

0 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

If  the  author  has  accomplished  nothing  more  than 
to  show  how  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was  organized,  and  to  set  forth  its  necessity 
and  the  great  service  it  has  rendered  mankind  during 
these  forty-five  years  of  its  splendid  history,  he  feels 
amply  repaid  for  all  the  efforts  he  has  put  forth. 

7 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Introduction    13 

Chapter  I. 

The  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America  Or- 
ganized         17 

Chapter  II. 

How  and  by  Whom  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America  Was  Organized 23 

Chapter  III. 
Origin  of  Methodism  in  England  and  in  America 2.7 

Chapter  IV. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  Organized 33 

Chapter  V. 

The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  and  the  African  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Zion  Churches — Priority  Still  an  Open 
Question — How  Zion  Was  Organized;  Its  Growth 37 

Chapter  VI. 
The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 44 

Chapter  VII. 
The  Story  of  My  Early  Life 47 

Chapter  VIII. 
My  Early  Life  in  the  Ministry 52 

Chapter  IX. 
The  Early  Days  of  Freedom 56 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Chapter  X.                                     Page 
Our  First  General  Conference 60 

Chapter  XI. 

The  Second  General  Conference  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America 65 

Chapter  XII. 
My  Early  Experiences  as  a  Bishop 70 

Chapter  XIII. 

The  Third  General  Conference  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America 81 

Chapter  XIV. 

The  Period  from  1874  to  1880,  Including  the  Fourth  Gen- 
eral Conference   84 

Chapter  XV. 

My  Work  Following  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  General  Confer- 
ences         89 

Chapter  XVI. 

The  Seventh  General  Conference  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  Some  Transpiring  Events 94 

Chapter  XVII. 

The  Great  Need  of  a  Denominational  School — My  Inspira- 
tion and  Earl}r  Efforts — Founding  of  Lane  College 97 

Chapter  XVIII. 
A  Year  of  Great  Trial  and  Severe  Affliction 109 

Chapter  XIX. 

My  Labor  as  a  Church  Expansionist — Working  in  the  Mis- 
sion  Field    118 

10 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Chapter  XX.                                   Page 
Church  Activities  in  Recent  Years 124 

Chapter  XXI. 

The  Thirteenth  General  Conference  of  the  Colored  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  in  America 130 

Chapter  XXII. 
Death  of  Mrs.  Frances  A.  Lane 133 

Chapter  XXIII. 

Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Colored  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  in  America 143 

Chapter  XXIV. 
Excerpts  from  a  Sermon  on  "Faith" 183 

Chapter  XXV. 

Extracts  from  an  Address  on  "Holiness"  Delivered  before 
an  Annual   Conference 187 

Chapter  XXVI. 

A  Dissertation  on  "Why  Baptize  Children  ?" 189 

II 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Bishop  Isaac  Lane,  LL.D.,  at  Sixty  Years  of  Age 19 

Trinity  Church,  Augusta,  Ga 67 

Residence  of  Bishop  Isaac  Lane 75 

Old  Main  Hall,  Lane  College 99 

Girls'  Hall,  Lane  College 105 

Boys'  Dormitory,  Lane  College 11 1 

New  Main  Hall,  Lane  College 115 

Lane  Tabernacle,  St.  Louis,  Mo 121 

Front  View  of  New  Buildings  at  Lane  College 125 

Mrs.  Frances  Ann  Boyce  Lane 135 

Bishop  W.  H.  Miles 145 

Bishop  J.  A.  Beebe 149 

Bishop  L.  H.  Holsey,  D.D 153 

Mrs.  Mary  Elizabeth  Long  Smith  Lane 157 

Bishop  R.  S.  Williams,  D.D 161 

Bishop  Elias  Cottrell,  D.D 165 

Bishop  C.  H.  Phillips,  LL.D 169 

Bishop  M.  F.  Jamison,  D.D 173 

Bishop  R.  A.  Carter,  D.D 177 

Bishop  N.  C.  Cleaves,  D.D 181 

12 


INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  with  a  sense  of  peculiar  joy  that  I  introduce 
to  the  reading  public  Bishop  Isaac  Lane,  D.D., 
LL.D.,  as  an  author.  The  joy  in  doing  the  pleasant 
task  is  not  due  to  my  ability  to  do  it  well,  but  to  a 
desire  I  have  always  cherished  to  be  in  some  way 
associated  with  the  life  and  deeds  of  great  men.  The 
privilege  I  esteem  very  highly  because  of  the  very 
helpful  acquaintance  I  have  had  with  the  author,  the 
powerful  influence  of  his  saintly  life  upon  me,  the 
unblemished  life  he  has  lived  among  the  people,  and 
the  large  service  he  has  rendered  his  Church  and 
race  in  particular  and  humanity  in  general. 

The  author  is  a  bishop  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  having  been  elected  in  1873  a^ 
Augusta,  Ga.,  and  remained  in  active  service  until 
May,  19 1 4,  when,  upon  his  own  request,  he  was 
granted  relief  from  episcopal  responsibilities. 

Bishop  Lane  is  a  rare  product  and  gives  value  and 
nobility  to  the  age  that  produced  him.  Born  in  slav- 
ery, deprived  of  educational  advantages,  surrounded 
by  untoward  conditions  to  hinder  the  progress  in- 
spired by  the  determination  of  his  own  soul,  he  has 
pushed  his  way  from  gross  ignorance  to  a  plane  of 
intelligence  inferior  to  none  of  like  surroundings 
and  superior  to  many  of  more  favorable  advantages ; 
he  has  pushed  his  way  from  abject  slavery  to  the 
highest  peak  in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  best 
people  of  both  races. 

13 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

As  a  man  he  has  embodied  and  exemplified  the 
virtues  of  a  noble  manhood — industri-ous,  frugal, 
and  rigidly  honest;  polite  and  courteous  to  every- 
body; humble  but  not  cringing,  respectful  but  not 
subservient ;  noble  in  purpose,  lofty  in  aim,  and  per- 
severing in  worthy  efforts. 

As  a  Christian  he  has  given  evidence  of  genuine 
repentance,  sound  conversion,  and  regeneration  un- 
questioned. His  loving  heart,  gentle  and  forgiving 
spirit,  broad  humanitarian  sympathies,  loyalty  to 
truth  and  justice,  and  unswerving  devotion  to  the 
right  stand  him  yonder  upon  a  pinnacle,  pure  and 
white,  sun-crowned,  with  his  head  and  heart  lifted 
to  God. 

As  a  preacher  he  is  soundly  orthodox,  sublime  in 
his  conception  of  God  and  his  eternal  attributes,  firm 
in  his  faith  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  righteousness. 
He  is  deep  and  profound  in  thought,  logical  in  rea- 
soning, persuasive  in  argument,  and  powerful  in 
delivery. 

As  a  bishop  he  has  been  abundant  in  labors,  safe 
in  his  leadership,  and  wise  and  honest  in  his  manage- 
ment of  the  affairs  of  the  Church.  His  services  have 
been  unselfish,  untiring,  and  abundantly  fruitful. 
He  founded  Lane  College  and  has  contributed  much 
in  energy,  time,  money,  and  sacrifice  to  its  growth 
and  perpetuity.  No  man  in  his  Church  has  done 
more  to  upbuild  and  expand  the  kingdom  than  has 
the  intrepid  Bishop  Lane.  During  the  forty-one 
years  of  his  active  service  as  a  bishop  there  was 

14 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

never  a  cloud  or  suspicion  over  his  moral  character, 
and  his  official  conduct  has  never  been  called  in  ques- 
tion.   He  is  still  respected,  honored,  and  revered. 

He  has  been  a  close  student  of  men,  books,  and 
conditions  and  is  fitted  by  study,  travel,  and  wide 
experience  to  talk  or  write  in  a  most  interesting 
manner.  For  years  he  has  been  importuned  by  peo- 
ple of  both  races  to  write  a  book,  and  after  years  of 
hesitancy  he  has  finally  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  his 
many  admirers. 

This  book  will  be  found  interesting  for  its  simple, 
direct,  and  easy  style.  The  contents  are  both  infor- 
mational and  inspirational.  In  a  style  all  his  own, 
the  author  recites  interesting  incidents  and  experi- 
ences in  his  own  life  with  a  humility  that  is  charm- 
ing. If  the  reader  finds  himself  wishing  for  more 
than  is  told,  it  will  be  due  to  disinclination  of  the 
author  to  write  fully  about  himself.  He  gives  also 
the  origin  of  Methodism  in  England  and  in  America 
and  then  narrates  interesting  facts  concerning  the  be- 
ginning of  the  various  bodies  of  Methodists.  With 
becoming  brevity  he  discusses  essential  items  of  the 
General  Conferences  of  his  own  Church,  gives  a  brief 
sketch  of  each  of  the  bishops,  and  furnishes  extracts 
from  some  of  his  sermons  and  lectures. 

With  a  noble  and  unselfish  purpose,  the  book  is 
sent  forth  in  the  name  of  Christ.  May  the  blessings 
of  heaven  rest  upon  all  who  may  read  its  pages ! 

J.  Arthur  Hamlett. 

Jackson,  Tenn.,  August  27,  1916. 
15 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
America  Organized. 

Shifting  scenes  and  events  brought  on  by  the 
War  between  the  States  forced  the  recently  emanci- 
pated Negro  to  face  new  conditions  and  to  live  a 
new  life.  Slavery  was  abolished,  but  all  of  its  at- 
tending evils  did  not  pass  with  it.  The  South  had 
been  devastated,  her  wealth  destroyed,  and  her  re- 
sources depleted.  The  Southern  white  man  had 
not  only  suffered  the  sting  of  defeat  on  the  battle 
field,  but  his  wealth  had  been  destroyed,  and  he 
began  to  realize  that  he  and  his  family  must  erect 
and  support  hereafter  a  lower  standard  of  living 
than  what  they  had  enjoyed  before.  He  could  no 
longer  order  the  slaves  to  do  his  bidding.  His 
sons,  who  had  been  indulged  in  idleness  and  who  had 
acquired  a  great  averseness  to  labor  and  been  taught 
by  the  awful  system  of  slavery  to  look  down  upon 
work  as  menial  and  beneath  the  dignity  of  a  "gen- 
tleman," were  then  forced  to  till  the  soil  and  do  all 
manner  of  work  with  their  hands.  Naturally  the 
Southern  white  man,  smarting  under  the  sting  of 
defeat  of  arms,  dejected  in  spirit  because  of  a  lower 
standard  of  living  forced  upon  him  and  his  family 
as  a  result  of  the  war,  was  in  no  frame  of  mind  to 
sympathize  with  the  colored  man,  although  the  Ne- 

2  I? 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

gro's  condition  was  most  trying.  What  the  white 
man  had  lost  under  arms  he  now  attempted  to  gain 
through  the  courts  and  legislation,  and  thus  the  Ne- 
gro had  new  fields  to  enter  and  new  battles  to  fight. 
Homeless  and  penniless,  he  was  turned  out  upon 
the  world  without  shelter  and  food;  yet  the  Negro 
resolved,  by  the  help  of  God,  to  find  a  way  or  make 
one.    He  did  not  find  it,  but  he  made  one. 

In  the  social  and  economic  life  of  the  Southern 
white  people  a  break  had  come,  and  it  ran  all  the 
way  through  the  whole  social  fabric.  The  Method- 
ists and  Baptists,  the  Presbyterians  and  Episcopa- 
lians, all  had  Negro  contingents,  and  the  new  condi- 
tions in  the  South  made  imperative  an  adjustment 
in  matters  of  Church  and  religious  affairs  to  corre- 
spond with  those  which  had  taken  place  already  in 
the  civic  and  political  life.  It  was  of  mutual  advan- 
tage to  both  the  white  man  and  the  Negro  for  a 
separation  to  take  place;  and,  fortunately  for  the 
good  of  the  cause,  both  were  able  to  see  it  and  work 
in  harmony  for  the  same  end. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  there  were  two 
hundred  and  six  thousand  colored  people  who  sus- 
tained the  relation  of  quasi  members  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  South.  I  say  advisedly  that 
the  colored  people  were,  after  a  manner,  members 
of  the  Southern  Methodist  Church,  in  that  religious 
services  were  provided  for  them,  they  were  enrolled 
as  members,  and,  with  certain  restrictions,  they  were 
permitted  to  have  their  own  meetings.    After  eman- 

18 


BISHOP   ISAAC  LANE,  LL.D. 
(At  sixty  years  of  age.) 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

cipation  it  can  be  easily  seen  that  this  relation  was 
not  satisfactory,  and  at  once  a  movement  was  inau- 
gurated to  give  the  Negroes  a  separate  and  independ- 
ent organization  that  would  be  regular  and  orderly 
in  every  way.  We  were  severely,  criticized  and  ma- 
ligned because  we  did  not  rebel  and  secede.  Other 
independent  Negro  Methodist  Churches  had  rebelled 
and  seceded,  and  because  we  chose  to  be  regular 
and  orderly  we  were  charged  with  being  sympathiz- 
ers with  slavery.  In  many  places  we  were  called 
Democrats  and  the  like. 

With  a  view  to  our  permanent  separation,  before 
our  ministers  had  obtained  their  credentials  from  the 
Annual  Conferences  of  the  white  Church,  and  be- 
fore we  had  been  organized  into  Annual  Confer- 
ences of  our  own,  we  had  respectfully  requested  to 
be  given  a  separate  and  independent  Church  organ- 
ization. The  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  helped  in  every  way  the  perfecting 
of  the  organization;  and  so,  after  three  years  of 
labor  and  much  prayer  and  supplication,  our  Church 
was  organized  in  Jackson,  Tenn.,  December  15-21, 
1870,  and  thus  began  the  only  regular  independent 
Negro  Methodist  Church  organization  in  all  the 
world. 

This  Church  has  grown  until  to-day  it  has  about 
two  hundred  thousand  members,  eight  bishops, 
eleven  general  officers,  with  the  following  depart- 
ments properly  officered  and  manned — viz.:  Boards 
of  Missions,  Church  Extension,  Ministerial  Relief 

21 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Society,  Epworth  League,  Education,  and  Publica- 
tion of  Church  and  Sunday  School  Literature. 
These  departments  are  seeking  to  help  in  fostering 
the  many  interests  of  the  Church  and  in  developing 
the  intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  life  of  her  con- 
stituency. Being  the  youngest  daughter  of  the 
Methodist  family,  "to  her  much  has  been  given,  and 
of  her  much  is  required." 

The  Church  has  property  whose  value  runs  into 
millions  of  dollars.  Lane  College,  Paine  College, 
Mississippi  Industrial  College,  Miles  Memorial  Col- 
lege, and  Phillips  College  are  the  leading  institutions 
of  learning. 

The  greatest  asset  of  the  Church  is  the  loyalty  of 
its  members  and  the  consecration  of  its  ministers. 
These  "servants  of  God"  are  willing  to  suffer  for 
the  advancement  of  the  "Church  our  blessed  Re- 
deemer bought  with  his  own  precious  blood." 

22 


CHAPTER  II. 

How   and   by  Whom   the   Colored   Methodist 

Episcopal  Church  in  America  Was 

Organized. 

In  order  to  throw  more  light  on  this  subject,  we 
give  below  the  address  of  the  bishops  that  was  sent 
out  in  1873.  It  is  worthy  of  a  careful  reading,  in 
that  it  throws  much  light  on  how  the  Colored  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  was  organized: 

To  the  Members  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  in  America. 

We  esteem  it  our  duty  and  privilege  most  earnest- 
ly to  recommend  to  you,  as  members  of  our  Church, 
our  form  of  discipline,  which  has  been  founded  on 
the  line  of  a  long  series  of  years,  as  also  on  the 
observations  and  remarks  we  have  made  on  ancient 
and  modern  Churches. 

We  wish  to  see  this  little  publication  in  the  house 
of  every  Methodist,  and  the  more  so  as  it  contains 
the  Articles  of  Religion  maintained  more  or  less, 
in  part  or  in  whole,  by  every  reformed  Church  in 
the  world. 

Far  from  wishing  you  to  be  ignorant  of  any  of 
our  doctrines  or  part  of  our  discipline,  we  desire 
you  to  read,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly  digest  the 
whole.  You  ought,  next  to  the  Word  of  God,  to 
procure  the  articles  and  canons  of  the  Church  to 
which  you  belong. 

We  deem  it  proper  in  this  place  to  give  you  a 
brief  account  of  the  organization  of  our  Connec- 
tion: 

23 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

From  the  introduction  of  Methodism  on  this  con- 
tinent we  have  ever  constituted  a  part  of  the  great 
Methodist  family,  first  as  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  in  America  and  also  after  the 
change  took  place  by  which  we  were  known  as  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States; 
and  when  the  division  took  place,  in  1844,  which  we 
regard  as  a  legal  and  constitutional  division  of  the 
Church,  we  formed  a  part  of  that  division  called 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  which  rela- 
tion we  have  continued  to  sustain  until  the  organi- 
zation of  our  Church  took  place  at  the  General  Con- 
ference held  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  which  began  its  ses- 
sion December  15,  1870,  which  day  was  spent  in 
prayer  and  supplication  to  the  Almighty,  that  his 
blessings  might  rest  upon  us ;  and  on  the  following 
day  the  regular  business  of  the  session  began,  Bish- 
op Robert  Paine,  D.D.,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  in  the  chair. 

The  circumstances  which  led  to  our  separate  and 
distinct  organization  were  as  follows : 

When  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  met  in  New  Orleans  in 
April,  1866,  the  Conference  found  that  by  revolu- 
tion and  the  fortunes  of  war  a  change  had  taken 
place  in  our  political  and  social  relations  which  made 
it  necessary  that  a  change  should  also  be  made  in 
the  ecclesiastical  relations,  and  provision  was  made 
for  our  organization  into  separate  congregations, 
districts,  and  Annual  Conferences,  if  we  desired  it, 
and  that  two  or  more  Annual  Conferences  should  be 
formed,  if  it  was  our  wish  and  met  the  approbation 
of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South ;  we  should  have  a  General  Conference  organ- 
ization like  that  of  the  General  Conference  of  the 

24 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  as  deacons  and 
elders ;  and,  should  a  General  Conference  be  organ- 
ized and  suitable  men  be  elected  to  the  office  of 
bishop,  that  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  would  ordain  and  set  them  apart  as 
chief  pastors  among  us. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South,  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  May, 
1870,  it  was  found  that  five  Annual  Conferences  had 
been  formed  among  us  and  that  an  almost  universal 
desire  had  been  expressed  on  our  part  that  we  might 
be  organized  into  a  separate  and  distinct  Church, 
which  was  acquiesced  in  by  the  bishops  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  South,  and  recommended  to 
said  Conference  in  their  address.  Whereupon,  by 
our  request,  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  together  with  Rev.  A.  L.  P.  Green, 
Samuel  Watson,  D.D.,  Edmund  W.  Sehon,  Thomas 
Whitehead,  D.D.,  R.  J.  Morgan,  D.D.,  and  Thomas 
Taylor,  D.D.,  were  appointed  by  said  Conference  to 
aid  in  organizing  our  General  Conference  at  the  time 
and  place  above  specified ;  and  at  the  succeeding  ses- 
sions of  our  Annual  Conferences  delegates  were 
elected  to  attend  our  General  Conference,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Discipline  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South. 

It  was  further  determined  by  the  acts  of  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  in  1866  that,  should  the  time  arrive  when  we 
should  be  formed  into  a  separate  and  distinct  organ- 
ization, all  property  which  was  intended  for  the  use 
and  benefit  of  people  of  color  held  by  trustees  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  should  be  transferred 
to  trustees  appointed  by  us,  to  be  held  forever  for 
our  use  and  benefit. 

25 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  facts  in  the  case  that  our 
record  is  clear  and  that  we  have  descended  regular- 
ly from  the  very  fathers  of  Methodism  and  that  our 
organization  is  both  legal  and  constitutional. 

We  remain  your  very  affectionate  brethren  and 
pastors,  who  labor  night  and  day,  both  in  public  and 
private,  for  your  good.  William  H.  Miles, 

Joseph  A.  Beebe, 
Lucius  H.  Holsey, 
Isaac  Lane. 
26 


CHAPTER  III. 

Origin  of  Methodism  in  England  and  in 
America. 

The  early  history  of  Methodism  makes  interest- 
ing reading  matter.  It  began  in  the  year  1729  in 
the  University  of  Oxford,  England.  It  was  here 
that  John  Wesley,  George  Whitefield,  Charles  Wes- 
ley, and  a  few  others,  while  students,  banded  them- 
selves together  for  their  own  intellectual  and  spirit- 
ual improvement.  They  were  so  systematic  about 
all  things  that  the  less  serious-minded  students  of 
the  University  in  derision  gave  them  the  name  of 
Methodists.  * 

The  name  was  so  appropriate  that  we  find  no 
record  of  its  ever  being  resented  by  the  Wesleys  or 
any  of  their  followers ;  and  now,  after  the  name  has 
been  glorified  by  more  than  a  century  of  splendid 
achievements,  there  is  no  stigma  or  reflection  in  it 
as  seen  or  felt  by  any  one. 

The  organizations  were  known  first  as  Societies 
and  continued  by  that  name  for  more  than  fifty 
years.  The  first  Methodist  Society  was  organized 
in  London,  England,  in  1739  by  Mr.  Wesley.  Like 
all  other  great  movements,  it  had  a  small  beginning. 
There  were  about  ten  persons  who  formed  it,  but 
soon  a  great  revival  spread  over  all  Britain,  so  that 
shortly  thereafter  there  were  hundreds  who  joined 
the  little  band  of  earnest  believers.  It  is  a  subject 
that  has  been  commented  upon  frequently  that  in  the 

27 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

midst  of  spiritual  darkness  God  raised  up  three 
servants  the  equals  of  whom  the  world  had  not  seen 
since  the  days  of  the  apostles — viz. :  John  Wesley, 
the  bishop,  a  man  of  great  spiritual  power,  unusual 
executive  ability,  a  ripe  scholar  and  parliamentarian ; 
George  Whitefield,  the  preacher;  and  Charles  Wes- 
ley, the  poet.  To  these  men  more  than  to  any  others 
Methodism  is  indebted  for  its  existence. 

Methodism  began  with  experimental  religion  in 
the  heart,  and  by  spontaneous  energies  it  project- 
ed itself  in  every  direction  by  leaps  and  bounds. 
Through  its  class  meetings,  love  feasts,  and  prayer 
meetings  it  propagated  itself  until  its  power  was  felt 
far  and  near.  Mr.  Wesley's  own  experience  as  he 
told  it  set  the  work  on  fire,  and  soon  the  fire  which 
"strangely"  warmed  his  heart  was  felt  in  the  hearts 
of  men  the  country  over.  But  Methodism  that  was 
sweeping  over  England  was  not  to  be  confined  to 
that  country.  It  soon  spread  to  America,  where  it 
found  plenty  of  material  on  which  to  glow  and  burn. 

Methodism  in  America. 

The  first  Methodist  Society  in  America  was  or- 
ganized by  Philip  Embury,  a  local  preacher,  in  the 
city  of  New  York  in  1766.  Barbara  Heck,  a  Chris- 
tian woman,  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  work ;  and 
so  a  woman  was  in  the  lead  in  the  formation  of  this 
Church,  and  it  is  a  fact  worthy  of  noting  that  wom- 
an has  been  used  largely  by  Methodism  ever  since  in 
forwarding  its   good   work.     The  first   Methodist 

28 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

church  was  built  in  John  Street,  New  York,  in  1 768. 
Thus  began  an  organization  that  has  spread  from 
one  end  of  our  country  to  the  other,  and  the  world 
is  better  by  reason  of  its  influence  and  good  work. 

The  First  Annual  Conference. 

Robert  Strawbridge,  Richard  Boardman,  Joseph 
Pilmore,  Francis  Asbury,  and  Richard  Wright  were 
all  prominent  workers  in  establishing  the  early 
Methodist  Churches  in  this  country.  Francis  As- 
bury soon  became  the  most  influential  man  in  Amer- 
ican Methodism  because  of  his  zeal  and  power  as  a 
gospel  preacher.  The  first  Annual  Conference  was 
held  in  Philadelphia  in  1773.  There  were  then  but 
ten  traveling  preachers,  six  circuits,  and  eleven  hun- 
dred and  sixty  members.  Thomas  Rankin,  an  hon- 
ored minister  of  much  influence  and  power,  presided 
over  the  deliberations  of  the  Conference.  The  busi- 
ness was  very  simple,  and  the  session  was  brief. 
The  most  important  work  done  was  the  agreement 
on  the  part  of  the  preachers  to  abide  by  the  doctrines 
and  discipline  of  John  Wesley.  These  Conferences 
were  held  each  year  at  different  places  until  Decem- 
ber 25,  when  the  last  one  was  held  in  Baltimore  in 
Lovely  Lane  Chapel.  This  session  brought  to  a 
close  the  era  of  Wesleyan  Methodism  in  America 
and  at  the  same  time  prepared  the  way  for  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  At  this  time  there  were 
eighty-three  traveling  preachers  and  fourteen  thou- 
sand nine  hundred  and  eighty-six  members. 

29 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

In  1784  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  for- 
mally organized.  Thomas  Coke,  an  assistant  of  Mr. 
Wesley  in  England,  was  sent  over  for  the  purpose 
of  consummating  the  organization.  Thomas  Coke, 
LL.D.,  and  Francis  Asbury  were  elected  the  first 
bishops  by  the  Conference  (called  the  Christmas 
Conference),  which  met  December  25,  1784,  and 
continued  in  session  until  January  2,  1785.  This  or- 
ganization now  gave  greater  prestige  to  the  Church 
as  a  Church.  They  had  been  called  Societies,  and 
now  they  were  to  be  known  as  Churches.  They  had 
been  considered  members  of  the  Established  Church 
of  England;  now  they  were  to  be  considered  as  a 
separate  and  independent  organization.  Mr.  Wes- 
ley himself  continued  during  his  lifetime  a  regular 
presbyter  in  the  Church  of  England  and  gave  Dr. 
Coke  authority  to  exercise  the  office  of  a  bishop  in 
America,  calling  him  a  superintendent,  which  is  only 
another  name  for  bishop.  Mr.  Wesley  also  directed 
Dr.  Coke  to  ordain  Francis  Asbury  to  the  same  of- 
fice; and  thus  began  the  episcopacy  which  has  been 
kept  up  through  all  of  these  years  in  the  various 
branches  of  American  Methodism. 

The  First  Methodist  General  Conference. 

The  first  Methodist  General  Conference  convened 
in  Baltimore,  Md.,  November  1,  1792.  The  Con- 
ference directed  that  the  next  General  Conference 
should  meet  after  an  interval  of  four  years.     Al- 

30 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

though  recognizing  its  full  ecclesiastical  authority, 
the  members  bound  themselves  not  to  make  any 
changes  in  the  doctrine  and  polity  of  Methodism  as 
enunciated  by  Mr.  Wesley  or  in  any  of  the  recog- 
nized rules  observed  by  the  Methodists  in  the  past, 
unless  the  new  measure  received  a  two-thirds  ma- 
jority vote.  The 'presiding  elder's  term  of  office  in 
any  district  was  limited  to  four  years,  which  rules 
have  been  followed  in  practice  ever  since. 

After  the  organization  of  the  first  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Church,  the  others  were 
held  regularly,  and  the  ordinary  routine  of  work 
was  done  from  time  to  time  as  the  welfare  of  the 
organization  demanded.  The  question  of  slave- 
holding  disturbed  the  peace  and  quietude  of  the 
Church  as  well  as  that  of  the  State.  The  more 
prominent  this  question  became  in  the  halls  of  leg- 
islation, the  more  serious  it  became  in  the  Church. 
So  finally,  in  1840,  the  question  of  slaveholding 
became  an  issue  claiming  much  prominence  in  the 
General  Conference.  This  storm  that  threatened 
the  unity  of  the  Methodist  Church  was  brooding 
over  the  organization,  without  much  hope  of  its  be- 
ing arrested  or  turned  back.  So  at  the  very  next 
General  Conference,  held  in  New  York  City  May 
1  to  June  10,  a  Plan  of  Separation  with  the  South 
was  adopted.  A  fuller  report  of  the  separation  is 
given  in  another  chapter  of  this  book. 

In  1856  Bishop  Burns,  of  Liberia,  was  ordained 
the  first  colored  bishop  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 

3i 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Church.     He  was  a  missionary  bishop  and  as  such 
exercised  the  duties  of  his  office  only  in  Africa. 

This  great  Church  has  grown  until  to-day  her 
membership  is  three  million  six  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  five  hundred,  with  eighteen  thousand  nine 
hundred  and  fifty  ministers  and  thirty  thousand 
churches.  Of  these,  there  are  more  than  three  hun- 
dred thousand  Negro  members,  who  are  represented 
in  every  sphere  of  service  in  the  gift  of  the  Church, 
save  that  of  bishop  as  a  general  superintendent. 
Besides  secretaries  of  the  various  departments  and 
editors  of  official  organs,  Negroes  preside  over  and 
teach  in  some  of  the  best  schools  supported  by  this 
Church  for  Negro  people.  In  these  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  they  have  reflected  credit  upon  the 
Church  and  the  race  to  which  they  belong. 

The  proposed  organic  union  of  the  Methodist 
Churches,  and  especially  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
at  this  particular  time  (1916)  is  receiving  consider- 
able attention.  How  this  union,  when  consummat- 
ed, will  affect  the  status  of  the  Negro  membership 
is  a  question  that  is  as  interesting  as  it  is  speculative. 
It  will  be  recalled  that  colored  Conferences  were 
established  in  this  Church  in  1852,  and  by  i860  prac- 
tically all  of  the  colored  Churches  belonged  to  the 
distinctive  Negro  Annual  Conferences,  and  this  sys- 
tem remains  to  this  day;  so  the  contact  is  not  so 
frequent  or  so  close  as  to  be  objectionable  even  to 
the  most  prejudiced  of  their  fellow  Churchmen. 

32 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
Organized. 

There  were  perhaps  several  causes  leading  up  to 
the  separation  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but 
slavery  was  the  one  that  furnished  the  background 
for  the  most  of  them.  It  was  the  one  that  could  not 
be  held  in  check  or  averted.  The  following  resolu- 
tion, offered  by  Griffith  and  Davis,  two  delegates  to 
the  General  Conference  of  1844,  is  self-explana- 
tory and  indicates  the  nature  of  the  trouble  that  was 
brooding  and  the  one  on  account  of  which  the  great 
Church  was  to  be  divided.  (See  General  Confer- 
ence Journal,  May  23,  1844.) 

Whereas  the  Rev.  James  O.  Andrew,  one  of  the 
bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  has  be- 
come connected  with  slavery,  as  communicated  in 
his  statement  in  his  reply  to  the  inquiry  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Episcopacy,  which  reply  is  embodied  in 
their  Report  No.  3,  offered  yesterday ;  and  whereas 
it  has  been,  from  the  origin  of  said  Church,  the 
settled  policy  and  the  invariable  usage  to  elect  no 
person  to  the  office  of  bishop  who  was  embarrassed 
with  this  "great  evil,"  as  under  such  circumstances 
it  would  be  impossible  for  a  bishop  to  exercise  the 
function  and  perform  the  duties  assigned  to  a  gen- 
eral superintendent  with  acceptance  in  that  large 
portion  of  his  charge  in  which  slavery  does  not  ex- 
ist; and  whereas  Bishop  Andrew,  himself  nominated 
by  our  brethren  of  the  slaveholding  population,  was, 
nevertheless,  free  from  all  personal  connection  with 
3  33 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

slavery;  and  whereas  this  is,  of  all  periods  in  our 
history  as  a  Church,  the  one  least  favorable  to  such 
an  innovation  upon  the  practice  and  usage  of  Meth- 
odism as  to  confide  a  part  of  the  itinerant  general 
superintendency  to  a  slaveholder;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  the  Rev.  James  O.  Andrew  be 
and  is  hereby  affectionately  requested  to  resign  his 
office  as  one  of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 

There  were  other  documents  of  a  more  concilia- 
tory nature  introduced,  but  they  served  only  as  oil 
poured  upon  the  flames  already  kindled.  The  dele- 
gates from  the  Southern  States  were  already  deter- 
mined as  to  their  course,  and  those  from  the  North- 
ern and  Eastern  States  were  equally  determined  in 
their  course.  All  were  able  to  see  that  a  separation 
was  inevitable.  A  Plan  of  Separation  was  adopted, 
and  soon  the  movement  for  a  separate  and  independ- 
ent organization  was  set  on  foot.  This  plan  left  the 
initiative  and  the  final  decision  with  the  delegates 
from  the  Southern  States,  and  they  were  not  very 
slow  in  acting.  A  general  convention  was  called  to 
meet  the  next  year  in  Louisville,  Ky. 


The  Louisville  Conventio 


n. 


The  Church  in  the  South  and  Southwest,  in  her 
Quarterly  and  Annual  Conferences,  approved  the 
course  of*  their  delegates  in  the  General  Conference 
and  declared  her  conviction  that  a  separate  organi- 
zation was  necessary  to  her  existence  and  prosper- 
ity.    Delegates  representing  fifteen  Annual  Confer- 

34 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

ences  assembled  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  accordance 
with  the  call,  May  i,  1845.  Bishops  Joshua  Soule 
James  O.  Andrew  presided,  and  Rev.  T.  N.  Ralston 
and  Rev.  T.  O.  Summers  were  elected  Secretaries. 
The  following  resolutions  were  adopted,  with  only 
three  dissenting  voices : 

Be  it  resolved  by  the  delegates  of  the  several  An- 
nual Conferences  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  the  slaveholding  States  in  general  convention  as- 
sembled, That  it  is  right,  expedient,  and  necessary 
to  erect  the  Annual  Conferences  represented  in  this 
convention  into  a  distinct  ecclesiastical  connection 
separate  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  as  at 
present  constituted ;  and  accordingly  we,  the  dele- 
gates of  the  Annual  Conferences,  by  the  General 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
entirely  dissolved ;  and  that  a  separate  ecclesiastical 
connection  under  the  provisional  Plan  of  Separa- 
tion aforesaid  and  based  upon  the  Discipline  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  comprehending  the 
doctrines  and  entire  moral,  ecclesiastical,  and  eco- 
nomic rules  and  regulations  of  said  Discipline,  ex- 
cept in  so  far  as  verbal  alterations  may  be  necessary 
to  a  distinct  organization,  and  to  be  known  by  the 
style  and  title  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South. 

Resolved,  That  we  cannot  abandon  or  compro- 
mise the  principle  of  action  upon  which  we  proceed 
to  a  separate  organization  in  the  South;  neverthe- 
less, cherishing  a  sincere  desire  to  maintain  Chris- 
tian union  and  fraternal  intercourse  with  the  Church 
(North),  we  shall  always  be  ready,  kindly  and  re- 
spectfullv,  to  entertain  dulv  and  carefully  consider 

35' 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

any  proposition  or  plan  having  for  its  object  the 
union  of  the  two  great  bodies  in  the  North  and 
South,  whether  such  proposed  union  be  jurisdic- 
tional or  connectional. 

Bishops  Soule  and  Andrew  were  requested  to 
unite  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
"upon  the  basis  of  the  Plan  of  Separation."  Bishop 
Soule  at  once  gave  the  convention  to  understand 
that  he  felt  bound  to  carry  out  the  plan  of  episcopal 
visitation  as  outlined  by  the  bishops  in  New  York, 
while  Bishop  Andrew  connected  himself  with,  and 
was  recognized  as  a  bishop  of,  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  South.  On  May  i,  1846,  the  first  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  was  convened  in  Petersburg,  Va.,  Bishops 
Soule  and  Andrew  presiding.  General  officers  were 
elected,  and  the  newly  formed  Church  was  provided 
with  all  the  officers  necessary  for  the  proper  care  of 
every  phase  and  department  of  the  Church  work. 

Thus  began  a  Church  that  has  grown  in  member- 
ship and  wealth  until  to-day  it  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  world-wide  powers  for  the  establishing  of 
righteousness  in  the  hearts  of  men.  This  Church 
has  upward  of  two  million  members,  three  large 
and  flourishing  Publishing  Houses,  a  complete  sys- 
tem of  colleges  and  universities,  sixteen  bishops, 
fourteen  general  officers,  and  Church  property  val- 
ued at  millions  of  dollars.  In  the  Methodist  family 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  takes  sec- 
ond rank  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

36 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  and  the 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church- 
es— Priority  Still  an  Open  Question — How 
Zion  Was  Organized;  Its  Growth. 

Which  of  these  organizations,  the  African  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  or  the  African  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Zion  Church,  is  the  older  is  yet  an  open  ques- 
tion. The  irregular  manner  in  which  they  were  or- 
ganized makes  it  very  difficult  to  determine  with 
any  degree  of  satisfaction  when  they  as  organiza- 
tions were  born.  The  Zionists  insist  on  the  year 
1796  as  the  beginning  of  their  Church.  If  we  take 
this  date  as  their  starting  point  as  a  denomination, 
we  shall  have  to  recognize  this  Church  as  the  oldest 
of  the  separate  and  independent  Church  organiza- 
tions among  the  Negro  people  of  this  country.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  there  is  no  doubt  that  "Mother  Zion 
Church,"  in  New  York,  was  organized  and  estab- 
lished in  1796;  but  the  Zion  Church  as  anything 
like  a  connection  was  not  organized  until  1828.  The 
members  who  afterwards  became  members  of  the 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church  remained 
with  the  mother  Church,  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  until  about  this  time.  This  can  be  easily 
inferred  from  the  following  address,  drafted  Febru- 
ary 22,  1820,  by  a  committee  consisting  of  John 
Dungy,  James  Varick,  Charles  Anderson,  and  Wil- 
liam Miller  and  sent  by  them  to  the  members  and 

37 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

bishops  of  the  Philadelphia  and  New  York  Annual 
Conferences  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
This  address  is  taken  from  the  history  as  given  by 
Bishop  J.  J.  Moore,  of  the  African  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Zion  Church: 

To  the  Bishops  and  Preachers  of  the  Philadelphia 
and  New  York  Annual  Conferences  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  Assembled. 

Respected  Brethren:  We,  the  official  members  of 
the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church  and 
Asbury  Church  of  New  York,  of  the  Wesley 
Church  of  Philadelphia,  of  Zion  Church  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  and  of  Zion  Church  of  Long  Is- 
land, in  consolidation  forming  a  Methodist  body, 
beg  leave  to  present  to  your  honorable  body  an  ad- 
dress on  a  subject  to  us  of  great  importance  and, 
we  trust,  not  a  matter  of  indifference  to  you.  In 
the  first  place,  permit  us  to  humbly  and  sincerely 
tender  our  thanks  for  what  you  have  done  for  us  in 
the  kind  service  you  have  rendered  us  when  m  our 
infant  state.  We  trust  that  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church  in  his  goodness  may  continue  to  reward  you 
for  your  labors  among  us,  you  who  have  been  the 
instruments  in  bringing  us  from  darkness  to  light, 
from  the  power  of  sin  and  Satan  to  God.  Permit 
us  further  to  say  that  when  the  Methodist  Society 
in  America  was  small  the  Africans  enjoyed  com- 
fortable privileges  among  their  white  brethren,  but 
as  the  white  element  increased  the  Africans  were 
pressed  back.  Therefore  it  was  thought  necessary 
for  them  to  have  separate  places  of  worship,  giving 
the  African  a  better  opportunity  of  full  religious 
enjoyment  and  privileges.    It  is  well  known  that  our 

38 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

number  has  greatly  increased  within  the  last  few 
years.  Many  are  still  coming  into  the  fold  of  Christ. 
Among  us  preachers  have  been  raised  up  whose  la- 
bors God  has  blessed.  But  hitherto  they  have  been 
too  limited  in  their  ministerial  privileges.  They 
have  not  had  the  opportunity  of  traveling  as  we 
think  God  designs  that  they  should  have,  at  least 
to  reach  our  own  race  in  the  evangelical  work  of  the 
Christian  Church.  There  is  no  provision  in  the 
mother  Church,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
for  us  in  the  itinerant  work,  that  colored  preachers 
may  go  forth  and  dispense  the  Word  of  Life 
among  our  own  race.  And  now  it  seems  that  the 
time  has  come  when  something  should  be  done  for 
the  improvement  of  the  colored  brethren  in  the  min- 
istry. But  how  shall  this  be  accomplished?  We 
have  not  the  least  expectation  that  the  African 
preachers  will  be  admitted  to  a  seat  and  vote  with 
their  white  brethren  in  ecclesiastical  assemblages. 
[This  is  not  what  they  ought  to  have  expected 
among  Christian  brethren,  who  could  not  fail  to 
understand  the  divine  lesson  on  its  being  a  sin  to 
have  respect  of  person;  and  if  simply  on  account  of 
clothing,  much  more  a  sin  on  account  of  race  or 
color.    James  ii.  9,  10.] 

We  do  not  desire  to  unite  with  the  R.  Allen  party, 
being  dissatisfied  with  their  general  manner  of 
procedure.  The  brethren  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
after  due  consideration,  have  concluded  to  form  an 
itinerant  plan  and  establish  an  Annual  Conference 
for  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  preachers, 
under  the  patronage  of  the  white  bishops  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  We  believe  that  such 
an  arrangement  effected  would  tend  greatly  to  pro- 
mote the  spiritual  interest  of  our  people  generally; 

39 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

our  preachers  would  receive  more  encouragement  in 
their  ministerial  labors.  If  we  should  commence 
this  important  work  of  forming  said  itinerant  plan 
and  establishing  an  African  Annual  Conference  un- 
der the  supervision  of  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  the  two  Societies,  the  Zion  and 
Asbury  Churches  in  New  York  City,  with  the  Phil- 
adelphia Society,  with  their  connectional  title,  shall 
be  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church  in 
America.  We  have  also  selected  a  portion  of  the 
Discipline  of  the  mother  Church  (the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church)  for  our  government,  with  the 
necessary  modifications  to  meet  the  circumstances 
of  our  organization.  To  this  we  beg  leave  to  refer 
you  for  perusal.  After  you  have  considered  our 
case,  should  our  proceedings  meet  your  approval, 
and  should  you  decide  to  comply  with  our  wishes, 
we  will  stand  ready  to  receive  such  advice  or  in- 
structions as  you  may  think  proper  to  give  us 
through  our  reverend  father  in  the  Lord,  Bishop 
McKendree  or  any  other  whom  the  Conference  may 
see  fit  to  select.  On  the  subject  of  ordination  to 
eldership,  of  which  our  preachers  have  all  been 
deprived,  we  might  have  obtained  it  from  other 
sources;  but  we  preferred  to  follow  the  advice  of 
Bishop  McKendree,  given  to  us  in  New  York,  to 
wait  until  the  meeting  of  your  Annual  Conference 
in  this  and  the  New  York  District;  then  we  could 
fully  understand  what  the  mother  Church  could  do 
for  us  in  the  matter.  In  consequence  of  some  un- 
easiness in  the  minds  of  some  of  our  brethren  or 
members  in  New  York  City,  we  have  been  under 
the  necessity  of  electing  three  of  our  deacons  to 
the  office  of  elders  and  some  of  the  preachers  to  the 
office  of  deacons.     We  hereby  show  our  people  that 

40 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

their  preachers  can  be  properly  authorized  to  admin- 
ister the  ordinances  of  God's  Church.  We  believe 
it  has  had  the  desired  effect  of  settling  the  minds 
of  our  brethren  and  advancing  the  work  of  the 
Lord.  We  expect  our  first  yearly  Conference  to  be 
held  in  the  city  of  New  York  on  the  24th  day  of 
June  next,  at  which  time  we  hope  to  have  the  happi- 
ness of  hearing  that  our  reverend  father,  Bishop 
William  McKendree,  presided  and  took  juris- 
diction of  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion 
Church.  With  this  hope  we  rest,  awaiting  your 
answer,  meanwhile  praying  that  the  great  Shepherd 
and  Bishop  of  souls  may  guide  you  in  your  deliber- 
ations, in  ours,  and  in  all  other  cases  ;  that  your  con- 
clusions may  be  pleasing  in  his  sight  and  tend  to 
advance  the  kingdom  of  Christ  among  the  African 
race. 

N.  B. — Should  the  above  address  be  sanctioned 
by  your  honorable  body,  and  should  you  be  pleased 
to  act  upon  it  immediately,  you  will  forward  it  on 
to  the  New  York  Annual  Conference  for  their  con- 
sideration and  action.  Should  the  time  appointed 
by  us  for  the  sitting  of  the  Annual  Conference  be 
inconvenient  to  the  person  who  might  be  appointed 
to  organize  the  same,  we  are  willing  to  change  the 
time  a  few  days  sooner  or  later,  provided  you  will 
please  give  us  timely  notice  for  such  change.  But 
should  you  see  fit  not  to  favor  the  address  in  any 
respect,  you  will  have  the  goodness  to  return  it  to 
the  bearer. 

Signed  in  behalf  of  the  official  members  of  both 
Societies,  at  a  special  meeting  called  for  that  pur- 
pose, March  23,  1821,  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

James  Varick,  Chairman; 

George  Collins,  Secretary. 
41 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

The  foregoing  address  being  prepared,  Rev.  Abra- 
ham Thompson  and  Leven  Smith  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  present  it  to  the  official  brethren  of  the 
Society  at  Philadelphia  (the  Wesley).  They  pre- 
sented the  same,  and  it  was  approved  by  them. 
Brothers  Thompson  and  Smith  then  conveyed  it  to 
the  Annual  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  convened  at  Milford,  Del.  The  Conference 
received  it  and  acted  upon  it.  In  1822  James  Var- 
ick,  Abraham  Thompson,  Christopher  Rush,  and 
James  Smith  were  appointed  a  committee  to  wait 
upon  Bishop  McKendree,  who  refused  to  ordain  the 
preachers  or  recognize  them.  These  men  were  or- 
dained shortly  thereafter  by  James  Covell,  Sylvester 
Hutchinson,  and  W.  M.  Stillwell.  During  this  same 
year  an  extra  session  of  the  Conference  was  called, 
and  James  Varick  was  elected  superintendent  of  the 
whole  connection. 

Z  ion's  First  General  Conference. 

In  1828  the  first  General  Conference  of  the  Af- 
rican Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church  was  held  in 
Zion  Church,  New  York  City.  There  were  twelve 
preachers  present,  with  James  Varick  presiding. 
The  Rev.  Christopher  Rush  was  elected  superin- 
tendent, or  bishop,  for  "the  first  time."*  At  first  the 
bishops  of  this  Church  were  elected  annually;  after- 
wards they  were  elected  for  a  term  of  four  years. 

*Moore's  "History  of  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion 
Church,"  page  100. 

42 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

This  continued  until  1880,  when  the  bishops  were 
elected  for  life  or  during  good  behavior.  Since 
then  this  great  Church  has  had  a  remarkable  growth. 
It  now  has  twelve  bishops,  two  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine  thousand  members,  two  thousand  two  hundred 
and  four  organizations,  with  Church  property  val- 
ued at  more  than  five  million  dollars.  This  Church 
has  a  full  set  of  general  officers,  a  publication  de- 
partment, and  much  valuable  school  property.  Liv- 
ingstone College,  at  Salisbury,  N.  C,  is  its  leading 
institution  of  learning. 

43 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (Beth- 
el) is  the  largest  Negro  Methodist  Church  in  the 
world.  Its  history  runs  back  as  far  as  1784,  al- 
though as  a  Church  organization  we  must  take  as 
the  time  of  its  birth  the  convening  of  the  "Friend 
of  Manhood  Christianity"  in  Philadelphia,  April  9, 
1816.  The  following  persons  were  members  of  the 
convention : 

The  first  General  Conference  of  this  infant  of 
God  was  held  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  in  18 16. 
There  we  find  in  this  body  the  following  princes  in 
heart:  Rev.  Richard  Allen,  Jacob  Tapisco,  Clayton 
Durham,  James  Champion,  and  Thomas  Webster, 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Daniel  Coker,  Richard  Wil- 
liams, Henry  Harden,  Stephen  Hill,  Edward  Wil- 
liamson, and  Nicholson  Gailliard,  of  Baltimore, 
Md. ;  Peter  Spencer,  of  Wilmington,  Del. ;  Jacob 
Marsh,  Edward  Jackson.,  and  William  Andrew,  of 
Attleborough,  Pa. ;  and  Peter  Cuff,  of  Salem,  N.  J. 

Bishop  B.  W.  Arnett,  of  the  African  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  gives  the  following  account  of 
the  work  of  the  first  General  Conference  of  this 
Church : 

Richard  Allen  was  elected  to  preside  over  the 
body;  Rev.  Daniel  Coker  was  elected  Vice  Chair- 
man; Richard  Allen,  Jr.,  was  elected  Secretary. 

The  convention  resolved  "that  we  will  favor  an 
44 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

independent  Church  organization."  The  committee 
appointed  for  this  purpose  reported  the  first  Disci- 
pline of  the  Church.  It  was  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  doctrine  and  government,  except  the 
presiding  eldership. 

The  convention  elected,  under  the  new  form  of 
government,  two  bishops,  Richard  Allen  and  Daniel 
Coker.  Richard  Allen  was  not  present  when  the 
election  took  place ;  but  the  next  morning  when  the 
journal  was  read  he  arose  and  informed  the  conven- 
tion that  he  was  sensible  of  the  honor  conferred  on 
him,  as  well  as  the  duties  that  would  be  expected  of 
him,  but,  with  a  sense  of  his  duty  to  his  Church  and 
the  fitness  of  things,  he  was  of  the  opinion  that  two 
bishops  were  too  many  for  the  organization  to  start 
with.  One  bishop  was  enough  at  this  time,  he  said. 
He  stated  that  he  would  resign  his  office  and  let  the 
convention  say  which  should  hold  over. 

This  speech  created  some  hard  feelings  on  the 
part  of  the  Baltimore  delegation,  who  were  in  favor 
of  Daniel  Coker.  The  Philadelphians  were  in  favor 
of  Richard  Allen.  So  the  whole  matter  relating  to 
the  election  of  bishops  was  reconsidered,  and  a  new 
election  was  held,  when  Richard  Allen  was  elected ; 
and  on  the  nth  day  of  April,  1816,  he  was  ordained 
by  the  imposition  of  hands  of  five  ordained  elders  in 
the  Church  of  God.  The  convention,  after  it  had 
made  arrangements  for  the  meeting  of  the  Annual 
Conference  at  Baltimore,  adjourned,  after  complet- 
ing one  of  the  most  important  events  of  the  age, 
when  we  consider  the  effects  it  has  had  upon  the 
development  of  Negro  manhood. 

In  defense  of  the  work  of  this  convention,  we 
quote  further  from  the  works  of  Bishop  B.  W. 
Arnett,  of  that  Church: 

45 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

If  Mr.  Wesley  had  a  right  to  ordain  Dr.  Coke, 
by  the  same  rule  Absalom  Jones  might  ordain  Rich- 
ard Allen,  and  the  ordination  must  be  equally  valid. 
And  if  "three  elders  and  one  deacon"  or  "three  eld- 
ers" can  "ordain  a  bishop"  to  answer  the  purpose, 
by  the  same  party  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Rich- 
ard Allen  must  be  equal,  in  point  of  virtue,  as  any 
now  among  Methodists.  Therefore  why  not  emit 
and  transmit  as  much  sanctity  among  those  on  whom 
he  may  lay  his  hands  as  any  other  Methodist  bishop, 
according  to  the  doctrine  of  episcopacy,  provided 
he  be  as  holy  in  heart,  walking  with  God,  whereby 
he  may  do  it  in  the  power  of  faith  under  the  sancti- 
fying influence  of  the  grace  of  God. 

No  one  has  ever  doubted  the  real  strength  of 
Richard  Allen's  character  or  his  devotion  to  racial 
ideals.  From  1816  Bishop  Richard  Allen  continued 
as  the  only  bishop  of  the  Church  until  1828,  when 
Rev.  Morris  Brown  was  elected  as  the  second  bish- 
op of  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  As 
the  Church  grew  in  strength  of  organization  it  grew 
in  members,  until  to-day  the  Church  has  a  splendid 
organization,  with  fifteen  bishops,  over  seven  thou- 
sand organizations,  and  more  than  five  hundred 
thousand  members.  It  has  Church  property  valued 
at  more  than  ten  million  dollars.  Wilberforce  and 
Morris  Brown  Universities  are  its  leading  institu- 
tions of  learning. 

46 


CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Story  of  My  Early  Life. 

I  have  delayed  for  some  time  the  writing  of  this 
little  book,  in  which  I  hope  to  set  forth  the  principal 
events  of  my  life,  in  a  studious  effort  to  put  it  in  as 
brief  a  form  as  possible.  Covering  a  period  of 
more  than  sixty  years  of  public  service,  the  difficulty 
of  selecting  the  material  can  be  easily  seen. 

I  was  born  March  3,  1834,  in  the  Western  division 
of  the  State  of  Tennessee,  in  Madison  County,  five 
miles  north  of  the  city  of  Jackson,  where  I  grew  up 
to  manhood.  I  was  reared  almost  motherless  and 
fatherless,  having  no  parental  care  and  guidance 
given  me.  I  had  an  early  conception  of  God,  and 
somehow  I  was  inspired  to  be  religious.  I  sought 
religion  when  quite  young;  but  I  did  not  embrace 
faith  until  I  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  that  being 
the  nth  day  of  September,  1854.  It  was  then  that 
I  was  happily  converted  and  set  out  to  serve  God. 
Three  or  four  months  after  my  conversion  I  was 
called  to  preach.  I  joined  the  Methodist  Church  in 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  October  21,  1854,  where  I  retained 
my  membership  until  the  Civil  War  was  over.  It 
was  then  that  I  joined  Salem  Church,  out  about  five 
miles  from  Jackson.  I  was  licensed  to  exhort  in 
November,  1856.  This  was  the  beginning  of  my 
public  ministerial  life.  Being  born  in  obscurity,  out 
in  the  country,  five  miles  from  town,  on  a  large 

47 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

farm,  I  thought  that  no  good  could  come  from  one 
raised  with  these  environments  and  under  these  un- 
favorable conditions.  To  begin  with,  one  can  see 
clearly  that  my  way  was  dark ;  but  with  the  gift  that 
God  gave  me,  I  began  to  work  and  continued  un- 
til I  was  brought  into  notice  by  the  people  among 
whom  I  lived. 

My  early  life  was  spent  on  the  farm ;  and,  like  the 
majority  of  the  members  of  my  race  of  that  day,  I 
was  denied  all  the  advantages  of  early  training  such 
as  would  prepare  me  for  public  service.  I  shared 
in  all  the  evils  common  to  slaves  during  those  dark 
and  bitter  days.  Pen  will  never  be  able  to  record, 
tongue  will  never  describe  the  trials,  the  sufferings, 
and  the  heartaches  of  those  days.  Truly,  slavery 
furnishes  the  blackest  chapter  in  the  history  of  the 
American  republic  and  is  the  greatest  and  foulest 
crime  of  the  nation. 

I  learned  to  read  and  write  under  the  greatest 
difficulties.  I  was  not  only  deprived  of  a  teacher, 
but  I  was  not  allowed  the  use  of  a  book  or  a  pencil. 
I  had  to  learn  the  best  I  could.  I  soon  found  out 
what  a  great  advantage  it  was  to  read  and  write, 
and  I  applied  myself  diligently  to  them  as  opportu- 
nities could  be  made.  After  the  Civil  War  I  estab- 
lished regular  hours  for  the  studying  and  the  read- 
ing of  God's  Word,  and  these  I  have  kept  all  of 
these  years.  I  coveted  the  morning  hours  the  most, 
although  in  the  evening,  when  the  hours  for  work 
were  over,  I  would  read  and  meditate  until  my  can- 

48 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

dlelight  or  pine  torch  would  fail  me  or  my  body 
would  succumb  to  fatigue  and  I  would  fall  asleep. 
The  Bible,  Binney's  "Theological  Compend," 
Clarke's  "Commentaries,"  Watson's  "Bible  Diction- 
ary," and  Ralston's  "Elements  of  Divinity"  were 
among  the  first  books  that  I  studied.  These  books 
I  read  with  a  fascination  from  which  I  have  not 
escaped  to  this  day. 

My  First  Marriage  and  Early  Experiences. 

When  I  was  nineteen  years  and  ten  months  old 
I  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Ann  Boyce,  a  young 
woman  of  eighteen  years,  who  had  attracted  consid- 
erable attention  because  of  her  industry,  modesty, 
neatness  in  dress,  and  ladylike  bearing.  She  was 
not  a  converted  Christian,  and  I  was  exceedingly 
anxious  for  her  to  have  the  joy  and  love  that  had 
come  into  my  life  when  I  was  brought  from  dark- 
ness into  the  marvelous  light  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  at 
once  began  to  pray  that  my  mother  and  wife  could 
enjoy  the  gift  of  grace  unto  salvation.  There  were 
three  large  families  on  the  plantation  on  which  I 
lived,  and  we  held  prayer  meetings  every  Saturday 
night.  Many  persons  professed  faith  in  Christ  in 
our  meetings,  and  one  of  these  was  my  wife.  It 
was  remarkable  to  me  how  she  was  converted.  We 
were  singing  an  old  plantation  melody,  and  these 
were  the  words:  "God  has  done  delivered  Daniel; 
why  not  deliver  me?" 

At  night  I  would  hold  family  prayer  with  my 
4  49 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

wife  and  mother;  and  in  those  prayers  the  good 
Lord  blessed  my  labors,  and  they  were  brought  into 
the  Church.  They  joined  New  Salem  Church  with 
me. 

To  us  were  born  eleven  children,  who  lived  to 
reach  manhood  and  womanhood.  Many  were  the 
trials  I  had  to  pass  through  to  rear  them ;  but  I  es- 
tablished the  custom  of  praying  three  times  a  day  on 
bended  knees  alone  and  in  secret,  and  God  did  not 
fail  to  hear  me.  This  custom  I  still  observe.  When 
I  had  no  closet  in  which  to  enter,  I  made  one  of  my 
hands,  for  I  wanted  to  be  a  good  man.  I  desired 
not  only  to  live  right  before  the  people  of  the  com- 
munity, but  before  my  wife  and  children  as  well  as 
before  my  God.  The  natural  gifts  that  God  gave 
me  when  called  upon  to  lead  prayer  service  soon 
brought  me  to  the  front ;  and  as  practice  makes  per- 
fect, the  more  I  was  called  upon  to  pray,  sing,  and 
exhort,  the  greater  was  the  number  who  professed 
faith  in  Christ.  This  caused  my  fame  to  spread 
throughout  the  community,  and  a  great  many  sin- 
ners and  wicked  men  were  brought  to  Christ.  Soon 
my  reputation  as  a  preacher  having  power  with 
God  and  influence  with  man  went  abroad  among 
both  white  and  colored  people.  This  was  the  period 
between  the  years  1856  and  1861.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out,  the  white  people  were  very  hard  on 
the  Negroes.  They  did  not  want  them  to  meet  in 
any  kind  of  gatherings,  save  that  for  preaching  and 
praying.    Ofttimes  this  was  offensive  and  called  for 

50 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  greatest  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  slave  own- 
ers. The  only  time  blood  was  drawn  from  my  body 
after  I  was  a  man  was  on  the  occasion  of  our  hold- 
ing prayer  meeting.  As  all  well  know,  the  Negroes 
were  praying  to  the  Almighty  to  be  set  free,  and  the 
white  people  were  praying  to  the  Lord  that  they  be 
held  in  bondage.  So  for  three  years  there  was 
much  supplication.  The  whole  country  was  in  hos- 
tility. The  North  was  arrayed  against  the  South, 
and  the  South  was  pitted  against  the  North,  and  the 
Lord  only  knows  how  the  Negroes  were  made  to 
suffer  during  those  trying  days.  Those  were  times 
that  tried  the  very  hearts  of  men.  It  has  been  a 
wonder  to  me  how  I  made  it  through  so  well  with 
my  home  affairs.  I  had  a  large  family  to  support, 
but  a  painstaking,  devoted,  and  true  wife.  To  me 
she  was  a  true  helpmeet.  Her  honor  and  word  were 
above  gold  and  silver.  She  enjoyed  the  fullest  con- 
fidence and  profoundest  respect  of  all  who  knew  her. 
For  purity  of  life,  personal  honor,  and  integrity  no 
woman  ever  surpassed  her. 

5i 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
My  Early  Life  in  the  Ministry. 

Shortly  after  my  conversion  I  was  overcome 
with  a  feeling  that  I  ought  to  preach.  I  strove  for 
months  to  get  rid  of  it,  but  without  success.  I 
went  to  a  man  in  whose  piety  and  Christian  virtue 
I  had  much  confidence  and  made  known  to  him  my 
struggle  and  the  feeling  that  was  then  strong  upon 
me.  He  gave  me  his  sympathy  and  directed  me  to 
a  certain  preacher  for  counsel  and  aid ;  but  this  man 
did  not  believe  in  Negroes  preaching,  and  he  gave 
me  no  encouragement.  I  next  sought  the  advice  of 
a  colored  man  whom  the  Methodists  had  helped. 
He  was  a  pure  Christian  man,  and  he  told  me  that 
if  God  had  really  called  me  to  preach  he  surely  knew 
his  own  business  better  than  man  and  advised  me  not 
to  trouble  myself,  but  trust  God.  I  did  trust  him; 
and  soon  thereafter  the  inspiration  came,  and  I  firm- 
ly decided  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  a  minister. 

I  sent  in  my  petition  to  a  Quarterly  Conference 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  for 
license  to  preach.  The  Conference  did  not  grant 
my  request,  but  gave  me  license  to  exhort  instead. 
The  committee  explained  that  the  Church  did  not 
believe  it  proper  to  grant  license  to  Negroes  to 
preach.  Rev.  George  Harris  was  the  presiding  eld- 
er, and  Rev.  A.  R.  Wilson  was  the  preacher  in 
charge  of  the  local  Church.     Rev.  Wilson  was  my 

52 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

personal  friend  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  and  he 
took  a  lively  interest  in  my  career  and  my  work.  In 
the  early  days  of  my  ministry  I  regarded  him  as  a 
great  and  good  man,  and  during  all  the  years  of 
our  acquaintance  thereafter  the  esteem  in  which  I 
held  him  when  I  was  a  young  man  did  not  suffer  in 
any  way. 

During  the  Civil  War  the  attitude  of  the  South- 
ern Methodist  Church  toward  granting  license  to 
Negroes  to  preach  had  undergone  some  changes, 
and  so  I  appeared  again  for  license  to  preach. 
This  time  I  was  sent  before  the  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence presided  over  by  Elder  William  H.  Lee.  After 
asking  many  questions  bearing  upon  almost  every 
phase  of  the  doctrines  of  Christ  and  the  Church,  I 
was  granted  license  to  preach.  I  recall  many  of  the 
questions  that  were  asked  and  the  answers  that  I 
gave.  I  shall  never  forget  the  occasion  and  the  keen 
interest  every  one  seemed  to  feel  in  the  examination 
I  was  called  upon  to  take.  I  give  below  a  few  of 
the  questions  and  the  answers  that  provoked  consid- 
erable interest  and  discussion — viz. : 

Question.  Are  all  men  sinners? 

Answer.  Yes. 

0.  What  Scriptural  proof  or  reference  have  you 
to  offer? 

A.  '-For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall 
all  be  made  alive." 

Q.  Is  conviction  a  voluntary  act  or  an  involuntary 
one? 

A.  Involuntary. 

53 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Q.  Can  you  give  a  Scriptural  reference  ? 

A.  "The  grace  that  brings  salvation  has  appeared 
unto  all  men,  teaching  them  godliness." 

Q.  What  is  the  difference  between  justification 
and  repentance? 

A.  Justification  is  the  work  done  for  me,  while 
regeneration  is  the  work  done  in  me.  The  former 
takes  place  in  the  courts  of  heaven,  while  the  latter 
takes  place  in  the  human  heart. 

These  questions,  together  with  others  somewhat 
similar,  being  satisfactorily  answered,  I  was  granted 
license  to  preach,  and  I  felt  a  freedom  that  I  had 
not  enjoyed  before. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  prayer  meetings  and 
the  splendid  opportunity  they  afforded  in  exercising 
the  gifts  that  God  had  given  me  and  the  deepening 
of  the  work  of  grace  in  our  hearts.  These  meetings 
proved  to  be  a  great  preparation  for  the  work  that 
I  was  called  upon  to  do  after  I  had  entered  fully 
into  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry.  Being 
licensed  to  preach,  I  was  frequently  called  upon  to 
preach  and  exhort,  especially  on  Sunday  afternoons, 
not  only  to  my  people,  but  the  white  people  also 
would  come  out  in  large  numbers  to  hear  me.  At 
first  I  was  very  much  embarrassed  to  preach  before 
such  large  crowds,  because  I  realized  fully  that  I 
was  without  education  and  had  but  little  opportunity 
of  learning  anything.  But  God  helped  me  wonder- 
fully and  blessed  my  work. 

From  the  time  I  was  licensed  to  exhort  up  to 
1865  I  held  meetings  for  our  people.     We  had  glo- 

54 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

rious  times,  and  many  converts  would  rise  and  "tell 
of  Jesus  and  his  love."  These  meetings  made  our 
country  famous  for  Methodism  during  the  war.  At 
some  places  we  had  stormy  times.  The  old  days  of 
the  beginning  of  the  Wesleyan  Movement  in  Eng- 
land, in  Ireland,  and  in  Wales  had  their  reflex  in 
these.  Many  times  my  life  was  in  great  danger, 
and  the  white  people  were  constantly  being  reviled 
and  reprimanded  because  they  had  encouraged  me 
in  preaching.  The  persecutors  went  so  far  as  to 
burn  down  the  church  houses  in  which  I  had 
preached  to  my  people.  But  I  had  gone  too  far  in 
the  work  to  be  stopped  by  such  methods.  Too  many 
people,  both  white  and  colored,  believed  in  me  to  be 
sidetracked  by  any  such  methods ;  for  at  this  time 
not  only  Methodists,  but  Christian  people  of  all 
denominations,  upheld  me  and  sought  to  give  en- 
couragement. One  good  old  Presbyterian  brother 
said  to  me  after  I  had  preached  in  his  church: 
"Brother  Lane,  keep  on  preaching  the  gospel,  and 
we  will  keep  on  building  church  houses  until  the 
trumpet  blows.  Let  them  burn  down.  We  will 
build,  and  you  shall  preach." 

55 


CHAPTER  IX. 
The  Early  Days  of  Freedom. 

The  Emancipation  Proclamation  that  had  been 
prepared  by  President  Abraham  Lincoln  in  the 
month  of  July,  of  the  year  1862,  was  not  issued  un- 
til January  1  of  the  year  1863.  It  did  not  go  into 
effect  at  this  time,  as  we  all  know,  but  its  influence 
was  felt  at  once  the  country  over.  A  studious  effort 
was  made  on  the  part  of  a  good  many  people  to  keep 
the  issuance  of  this  proclamation  a  profound  secret 
to  the  Negroes.  But  it  could  not  be  done.  There 
was  too  much  excitement  for  such  a  clever  piece  of 
work  to  be  done  with  any  degree  of  success,  and 
there  were  too  many  Negroes  who  were  able  to  read 
and  understand  the  trend  of  affairs  to  be  misled  by 
any  subterfuge  that  might  be  resorted  to  by  the  sym- 
pathizers of  the  Lost  Cause.  The  Confederacy  was 
doomed,  and  this  proclamation  was  the  death  knell 
to  slavery  on  the  American  continent.  The  moral 
effect  was  wonderful.  Strong  men  who  had  put  all 
their  faith  in  the  supremacy  of  the  Confederate 
army  now  began  to  weaken  and  became  despaired 
of  success.  The  slaves  saw  it,  and  it  required  great 
effort  on  their  part  to  suppress  their  feelings  of 
rejoicing. 

After  Lee  had  surrendered  and  the  Confederacy 
had  gone  to  pieces  and  Jefferson  Davis  had  become  a 
refugee,  our  owners  called  us  together  and  told  us 

56 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

we  were  free  and  had  to  take  care  of  ourselves. 
There  I  was  with  a  large,  dependent  family  to  sup- 
port. I  had  no  money,  no  education,  no  mother  nor 
father  to  whom  to  look  for  help  in  any  form.  Our 
former  owners  prophesied  that  half  of  us  would 
starve,  but  not  so.  It  must  be  admitted,  however, 
that  we  had  a  hard  time,  and  it  seemed  at  times 
that  the  prophecy  would  come  true;  but  the  harder 
the  time,  the  harder  we  worked  and  the  more  we 
endured.  For  six  months  we  lived  on  nothing  but 
bread,  milk,  and  water.  We  had  a  time  to  keep 
alive ;  but  by  praying  all  the  time,  with  faith  in  God, 
and  believing  that  he  would  provide  for  his  own,  we 
saved  enough  to  get  the  next  year  not  only  bread, 
milk,  and  water,  but  meat  also. 

The  next  year  my  family  fared  much  better,  and 
I  was  able  to  devote  more  time  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  I  took  an  active  part  in  the  Church  and 
soon  gained  the  confidence  and  respect  of  both  white 
and  colored  people.  At  our  own  request,  our  Church 
was  organized  as  an  independent  society,  and  we 
took  the  name  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America.  In  1866  we  had  a  Conference 
of  our  own  in  Jackson,  Tenn.,  known  as  the  Ten- 
nessee, North  Alabama,  and  North  Mississippi  An- 
nual Conference.  I  was  elected  and  ordained  dea- 
con one  day,  and  on  the  next  day  I  was  elected  and 
ordained  elder.  At  the  close  of  this  Conference  I 
was  appointed  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Jackson 
District   of   the   above-named   Annual   Conference, 

57 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

which  position  I  held  for  four  years.  Meanwhile 
we  found  that  the  territory  and  membership  em- 
braced by  this  Annual  Conference  were  entirely 
too  large ;  and  so  later  on  out  of  this  Conference  we 
organized  the  Tennessee,  North  Alabama,  North 
Mississippi,  and  West  Tennessee  Annual  Confer- 
ences. 

As  I  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  peo- 
ple I  grew  into  prominence  in  the  Church.  At  the 
session  of  the  Tennessee  Annual  Conference  that 
convened  in  Brownsville,  Tenn.,  I  was  elected  the 
leader  of  the  Tennessee  delegation  to  the  first  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America.  Bishop  David  S.  Doggett, 
D.D.,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
presided  over  the  deliberations  of  this  Conference 
and  gave  service  that  was  highly  satisfactory  to  all 
the  brethren.  It  is  difficult  for  any  one  who  was 
not  present  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  attitude 
of  the  Southern  Methodist  Church,  as  exemplified 
through  its  bishops  and  other  leaders,  toward  the 
colored  work.  It  is  far  more  difficult  to  explain  it. 
There  was  a  fraternal  sympathy,  a  mutual  good 
will,  a  kindly  interest  that  made  the  relation  cor- 
dial and  highly  helpful. 

The  Jackson  District  was  a  prominent  appoint- 
ment. As  the  elder  I  was  given  an  assessment  in  the 
way  of  a  salary  of  four  hundred  dollars  per  year. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  was  paid  all  the  way  from 
one  hundred  and  fiftv  to  two  hundred  dollars  a  year 

58 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

during  the  four  years  I  served  in  this  capacity. 
Having  served  the  time  limit,  I  was  afterwards  as- 
signed to  the  work  as  pastor  of  Liberty  Colored 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and 
served  that  congregation  for  a  little  more  than  a 
year  for  the  handsome  salary  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  dollars!  My  family  was  large  and 
growing,  and  I  had  to  do  much  work  on  the  farm 
in  order  to  support  my  family  properly.  Neverthe- 
less, during  my  pastorate  I  was  successful  in  in- 
creasing the  membership  of  this  Church  from  seven- 
ty to  three  hundred  members.  These  were  great 
days  for  me  in  the  ministry.  I  preached  with  much 
freedom  and  great  power.  My  conversion  and  con- 
duct showed  to  the  people  that  I  was  sincere  in  my 
purpose  and  earnest  in  my  efforts,  and  men  seemed 
to  realize  that  I  was  called  of  God.  All  of  these 
things  gave  me  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the 
people,  and  I  gradually  grew  into  prominence  and 
general  favor. 

59 


CHAPTER  X. 

Our  First  General  Conference. 

As  early  as  the  fall  of  1877  several  of  the  An- 
nual Conferences  of  the  future  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  were  organized,  and  by  the  spring 
of  1870  the  number  had  been  greatly  increased. 
The  General  Conference  had  been  called  to  assemble 
in  the  fall  of  1870,  and  there  was  much  interest  dis- 
played in  the  affairs  of  the  new  organization.  I 
shall  always  remember  the  session  of  the  Tennessee 
Annual  Conference  that  convened  at  Brownsville, 
Tenn.,  and  was  presided  over  by  Bishop  David  S. 
Doggett,  D.D.,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South.  The  day  before  the  convening  of  the  Con- 
ference my  wife's  mother  received  a  stroke  of  pa- 
ralysis and  fell  dead.  I  received  the  message  and 
had  to  return  home  to  be  with  my  loved  ones  during 
those  sad  hours.  I  rode  all  the  way  from  Browns- 
ville to  Jackson  on  horseback.  After  giving  all  the 
comfort  and  consolation  possible,  I  returned  to  the 
Conference  room  with  a  heavy  heart.  I  was  in- 
formed that  the  brethren,  during  my  absence,  had 
selected  me  as  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  forthcom- 
ing session  of  the  General  Conference.  I  felt  very 
keenly  the  confidence  thus  expressed  and  the  honor 
conferred  and  sought  by  my  conduct  to  prove  wor- 
thy of  it.  I  had  labored  earnestly,  and  this  recogni- 
tion was  a  source  of  comfort  to  me. 

60 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

In  reading  of  the  work  of  those  early  days  let  us 
remember  that  conditions  were  unlike  the  conditions 
of  to-day  in  many  respects.  The  people  were  great- 
ly scattered  and  were  constantly  moving  from  one 
place  to  another.  This  was  necessarily  true  because 
of  the  unsettled  condition  of  everything  in  the  coun- 
try. It  was  no  easy  task  to  keep  up  with  the  people 
and  safeguard  the  interests  of  the  Church. 

On  December  15,  1870,  the  first  General  Confer- 
ence of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
America  assembled  in  Jackson,  Tenn.  This  was  an 
interesting  gathering  of  men.  Among  the  more 
prominent  persons  who  made  up  this  Conference,  as 
I  recall,  were  Revs.  Worden  P.  Churchill,  Joseph 
Crouch,  Benjamin  Bullard,  R.  T.  White,  John  W. 
Lane,  Esquire  Bobo,  Isaac  H.  Anderson,  R.  H. 
Vanderhorst,  and  Lucius  H.  Holsey.  W.  H.  Miles 
was  a  reserve  delegate  from  the  Kentucky  Annual 
Conference.  Among  the  active  laymen  there  were 
Henry  Hammond,  James  Graves,  Augustus  Bostick, 
and  Wesley  Ware.  These  men  were  the  leaders  in 
doing  the  early  legislation  of  the  Church.  Decem- 
ber 15,  the  first  day  of  the  Conference,  was  spent 
in  prayer.  I  shall  never  forget  the  scenes  of  that 
day.  A  great  work  was  to  be  done,  and  all  seemed 
to  realize  the  necessity  of  divine  help  and  guidance. 
It  was  a  precedent  worthy  of  the  men  and  the  oc- 
casion and  one  that  the  succeeding  General  Confer- 
ences might  do  well  to  emulate.  The  white  breth- 
ren commissioned  by  the  Church  to  help  us  in  everv 

61 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

way  necessary  were  there  praying  with  us,  that  no 
mistake  be  made  in  the  important  work  before  us. 
During  that  service  a  great  spiritual  wave  swept 
over  us  as  we  lingered  at  the  throne  of  grace. 
Bishop  George  F.  Pierce,  D.D.,  presided  over  this 
Conference;  while  the  Rev.  James  A.  Heard,  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  was  the  Secre- 
tary pro  tern.  Bishop  Pierce  then  requested  Dr.  A. 
L.  P.  Green,  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  to  read  the  action 
of  the  General  Conferences  bearing  upon  our  re- 
quest to  them  for  a  separate  organization  and  their 
action  with  respect  to  the  same.  These  documents 
made  clear  the  fact  that  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  was  anxious  to  help  in  every  way 
possible  to  establish  our  Church  and  give  us  the 
advantage  of  their  experience  and  knowledge.  Aft- 
er listening  to  the  reading  of  these  documents,  the 
brethren  set  their  hands  to  the  work  before  them. 

The  organization  was  made  permanent  by  the 
election  of  Rev.  J.  A.  Heard,  Secretary,  and  the  Rev. 
L.  J.  Scurlock,  Assistant  Secretary.  A  majority  of 
the  delegates  elected  being  present,  the  Conference 
proceeded  to  business.  Besides  the  various  com- 
mittees that  were  appointed,  the  following  work 
was  done  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to  the 
Church  and  the  delegates:  The  Rules  of  Order  as 
set  forth  in  the  "Manual  of  Discipline"  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  South,  were  adopted  for 
the  government  of  the  Conference.  The  Conference 
chose  as  the  name  of  their  Church  the  Colored  Meth- 

62 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

odist  Episcopal  Church  in  America.  It  adopted,  in 
the  main,  the  Book  of  Discipline  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  with  such  changes  as  ne- 
cessity required,  as  the  Book  of  Discipline  of  the 
new  Church.  It  elected  the  Rev.  William  Henry 
Miles,  a  reserve  delegate  from  the  Kentucky  Annual 
Conference,  and  the  Rev.  Richard  H.  Vanderhorst, 
of  Charleston,  S.  C,  as  the  first  bishops  of  the  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America.  It 
created  and  established  a  Publication  House,  locat- 
ing the  same  in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  with  the  Rev.  L.  J. 
Scurlock  as  Agent.  It  established  the  Christian  In- 
dex as  its  official  organ  and  elected  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Watson  as  its  first  editor.  It  established  and  fixed 
the  boundaries  of  the  nine  Annual  Conferences  al- 
ready organized,  prorated  the  amount  of  funds  to 
be  raised  by  the  Annual  Conferences,  and  adjourned 
to  meet  four  years  from  that  date  or  at  the  call  of 
the  Senior  Bishop,  W.  H.  Miles.  Without  prece- 
dent or  experience,  the  leaders  entered  upon  their 
duties  with  a  deep  sense  of  their  responsibilities  and 
obligations.  The  polity  of  the  Church  had  to  be 
established,  its  relation  to  all  other  bodies  had  to  be 
defined,  and  the  protection  of  its  interests  had  to  be 
secured.  It  can  be  easily  seen  that  these  things  were 
enough  to  fill  the  hands  of  the  leaders  to  overflow- 
ing; and  we  venture  the  assertion  that,  had  they  not 
been  men  of  action  and  of  great  vision,  thev  would 
have  failed  in  their  first  attempts.  Be  it  said  to  the 
credit  of  the  General  Conference  that  both  of  the 

63 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

bishops  elected  were  men  of  strong  personal  char- 
acter and  much  executive  ability.  Rev.  William  H. 
Miles  was  a  great  preacher  and  a  strong  executive, 
while  the  Rev.  R.  H.  Vanderhorst  had  won  a  wide 
reputation  as  a  great  evangelist  and  a  matchless  or- 
ator. These  men  with  much  ceremony  were  or- 
dained bishops  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America  by  Bishops  Robert  Paine  and 
Holland  N.  McTyeire,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  and  were  consecrated  to  this  holy 
office  December  19,  1870.  Both  being  endowed  with 
great  physical  parts,  they  gave  promise  of  many 
years  of  usefulness  to  their  Church.  But  not  so. 
The  duties  were  too  onerous,  the  work  was  entirely 
too  heavy,  and  the  physical  and  mental  strain  was 
too  great  for  them  to  live  long.  In  July,  1872, 
Bishop  R.  H.  Vanderhorst  died,  after  serving  the 
Church  only  eighteen  months  as  a  chief  pastor.  His 
passing  was  a  subject  of  much  grief  and  disappoint- 
ment to  the  entire  Church.  Befitting  memorial  serv- 
ices were  held  throughout  the  connection  to  his  hon- 
or and  memory.  The  death  of  Bishop  Vanderhorst 
multiplied  the  duties  devolving  upon  the  shoulders 
of  Bishop  Miles  and  forced  the  convening  of  the 
General  Conference  one  year  earlier  than  had  been 
planned. 

64 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Second  General  Conference  of  the  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  America. 

On  Wednesday,  March  19,  1873,  a  called  session 
of  the  General  Conference  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America  convened  in  Trinity 
Church,  Augusta,  Ga.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  Con- 
ference met  in  March  instead  of  in  August.  This 
was  done  so  as  to  provide  for  the  holding  of  the 
spring  Annual  Conferences  and  the  summer  district 
meetings  that  meant  so  much  to  the  new  organiza- 
tion. During  these  days  of  organization  all  of  these 
meetings  needed  episcopal  supervision  and  direction. 

Since  the  adjournment  of  the  last  General  Con- 
ference Bishop  Vanderhorst  had  passed  away,  and 
the  work  had  grown  to  such  magnitude  and  impor- 
tance that  the  demand  for  more  bishops  was  imper- 
ative. Besides  the  care  of  the  work  itself,  there  was 
an  estrangement  between  the  other  Methodist  bodies 
and  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
America  that  seriously  threatened  an  open  breach. 
This  came  about  by  the  other  Churches  occupying 
property  that  legally  and  of  right  belonged  to  the 
Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  can  be 
easily  seen  that  these  problems  and  others  that  were 
constantly  arising  would  involve  us  in  ecclesiastical 
entanglement  unless  they  were  handled  firmly  and 
wisely,  and  Bishop  Miles  desired  the  counsel  and 
5  65 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

advice  of  associates.  It  stands  to  the  credit  of  the 
leaders  of  our  Church  that,  in  a  measure,  these  de- 
nominational differences  were  adjusted  in  a  Chris- 
tian spirit,  and  the  open  breach  was  averted.  It  is 
true  that  we  lost  some  valuable  Church  property, 
especially  in  the  great  cities  of  the  South  and  East. 
Some  of  the  other  Churches  sent  men  from  the 
North,  especially  persons  who  had  some  experience 
in  public  life,  as  politicians  and  the  like,  into  the 
South  to  corral  the  people  in  large  cities  and  thus 
persuade  them  to  leave  the  Colored  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  and  align  themselves  with  the  other 
Churches.  Because  we  did  not  have  men  to  cope 
with  the  situation,  our  organization  lost  heavily. 

At  this  General  Conference  a  goodly  number  of 
the  white  brethren  were  on  hand.  They  had  come 
to  offer  words  of  encouragement  and  advice  and  to 
give  assurances  of  their  continued  interest  and  good 
will.  They  knew  of  many  of  our  trials  and  hard- 
ships and  were  in  great  sympathy  with  us.  Among 
these  godly  men  I  recall  Bishop  George  F.  Pierce, 
D.D.,  Rev.  Thomas  Taylor,  Dr.  Sehon,  Rev.  J.  E. 
Evans,  and  Dr.  Whitehead.  Bishop  Miles  presided 
over  the  deliberations  of  this  Conference,  and  the 
Rev.  J.  W.  Bell,  of  Kentucky,  was  elected  Secretary. 

After  the  devotional  exercises  had  been  held  and 
the  organization  perfected,  Bishop  W.  H.  Miles  read 
the  first  episcopal  address  ever  delivered  to  a  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  General  Conference.  It 
was  a  masterly  production  and  clearly  showed  that 

66 


TRINITY   CHURCH,    AUGUSTA,   GA. 
Where  Bishop  Lane  was  consecrated  to  the  office  of  bishop,  March  23,  187^. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  author  had  a  full  grasp  of  the  situation  and  a 
clear  comprehension  of  the  problems  before  the 
Church,  as  well  as  the  true  mission  of  our  Method- 
ism in  the  world.  The  Conference  was  so  thorough- 
ly in  accord  with  the  work  of  Bishop  Miles  that  it 
adopted  all  of  his  recommendations  and  elected  three 
bishops  to  help  him  superintend  the  work  of  our 
rapidly  growing  organization.  This  election  took 
place  after  much  prayer  on  the  morning  of  March 
19,  1873.  On  the  first  ballot  the  Rev.  Joseph  A. 
Beebe,  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  Rev.  L.  H.  Hol- 
sey,  of  Georgia,  each  having  received  a  majority  of 
the  votes  of  the  Conference,  were  declared  bishops 
elect  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
America  by  Bishop  William  Henry  Miles.  On  the 
third  ballot  Isaac  Lane,  of  Tennessee,  was  elected 
bishop,  which  election  was  duly  announced  bv  the 
presiding  officer.  The  next  Sunday,  March  23, 
Bishop  George  F.  Pierce,  D.D.,  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  preached  the  ordination 
sermon  and  assisted  otherwise  in  the  ordination  of 
the  bishops  elect.  This  work  was  done  in  historic 
old  Trinity  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
Augusta,  Ga.,  where,  since  then,  many  notable  gath- 
erings of  colored  Methodists  have  been  held.  The 
whole  machinery  of  the  Church  was  now  put  into 
operation.  The  financial  plan  was  improved  upon, 
the  publication  department  took  definite  form,  the 
educational  and  missionary  work  was  begun,  and 
the  Church  work  gained  in  prestige  and  power. 

69 


CHAPTER  XII. 
My  Early  Experiences  as  a  Bishop. 

Having  been  elected  bishop  on  the  19th  day  of 
March  and  consecrated  to  that  holy  office  on  Sun- 
day, the  23d  of  March,  A.D.  1873,  to  S°  out  as  a 
bishop  and  preach  the  gospel  and  administer  the 
laws  of  the  Church  was  no  little  embarrassment  to 
me.  In  those  early  days  of  the  freedom  of  the  race 
the  people  were  crude  and  had  their  own  ideas  of 
religion,  of  the  ministry,  and  especially  of  the  bish- 
ops. There  was  much  curiosity  attached  to  the  com- 
ing of  a  bishop.  This  situation  had  to  be  met  and  in 
a  way  satisfied  in  order  to  reach  the  people  in  the 
interest  of  the  Church. 

After  our  election  and  consecration,  Bishop  Miles 
called  us  together,  and  then  and  there  we  allotted  and 
assigned  the  work  for  the  year.  I  was  called  upon 
to  preside  over  the  Northwest  Texas,  the  East  Tex- 
as, and  the  Louisiana  Annual  Conferences.  At  that 
time  our  entire  connection  was  composed  of  mission 
Conferences  when  compared  with  the  work  as  it  is 
organized  to-day,  and  my  work  was  from  every 
viewpoint  missionary.  The  territory  was  exceeding- 
ly large,  covering  the  present  States  of  Texas,  Okla- 
homa, and  Louisiana.  As  all  know,  this  territory 
was  wholly  undeveloped  and  sparsely  settled  by  a 
wild  and  adventurous  people,  who  cared  very  little 
for  the  Church,  religion,  and  the  ministry.     Rail- 

70 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

roads  were  very  few,  and  most  of  the  traveling  had 
to  be  done  by  stage,  on  horseback,  by  boat,  or  on 
foot.  To  travel  over  this  vast  territory  entailed 
many  hardships,  deprivations,  and  much  suffering. 
Pen  cannot  describe,  tongue  can  never  tell,  nor  can 
language  express  the  mental  anguish  and  the  physi- 
cal pain  I  endured  on  those  perilous  trips.  I  shall 
never  forget  those  early  experiences. 

Being  without  money  with  which  to  purchase  the 
necessary  clothing,  buy  books,  and  the  like,  I  was 
much  embarrassed.  At  that  time  the  railroad  fare 
was  five  cents  per  mile,  and  my  Conferences  were 
far  apart.  After  providing  for  the  protection  and 
care  of  my  family,  I  started  out  to  hold  the  District 
Conferences.  Bishop  Miles  had  asked  me  to  hold 
some  of  these  Conferences  for  him,  and  I  did  so. 
My  first  Conference  was  held  at  Cumberland  City, 
Tenn.  After  calling  the  Conference  to  order,  we 
conducted  our  devotional  service.  I  made  a  talk 
based  upon  some  portion  of  Scripture  and  then 
called  for  the  election  of  a  secretary.  In  those  days 
it  was  a  very  difficult  matter  to  secure  the  services 
of  one  who  could  write  and  record  with  any  degree 
of  intelligence  the  proceedings  of  our  meetings. 
Therefore  much  care  was  exercised  in  the  selecting 
of  a  competent  secretary.  This  having  been  done, 
the  Conference  settled  down  to  work.  I  spoke  to 
the  brethren  on  the  duties  of  the  presiding  elder 
and  the  pastors.  A  great  congregation  was  there  to 
hear  and  see  the  newly  elected  bishop,  and  we  had  a 

7i 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

splendid  meeting.  I  returned  home  only  to  spend  a 
few  days  with  my  family,  and  then  I  was  off  to 
Minden,  La.,  the  seat  of  the  next  District  Confer- 
ence that  I  was  to  hold.  En  route  to  Minden  I 
stopped  at  Water  Valley,  Miss.,  where  I  enjoyed  the 
hospitalities  of  friends  for  a  few  days,  and  then  .1 
continued  my  trip.  In  order  to  reach  the  Confer- 
ence I  had  to  travel  seventy  miles  on  horseback. 
After  getting  there  I  was  so  tired  and  worn  that  I 
could  scarcely  go.  The  brethren  were  there  in  large 
numbers,  and  there  was  much  uneasiness  among 
them  as  to  the  proper  care  of  the  work  of  the  Con- 
ference. I  knew  the  attitude  of  the  brethren,  and  I 
went  on  bravely  in  His  name.  Before  we  had  gone 
far  into  the  work  of  the  Conference  the  brethren 
began  to  see  for  themselves  that  the  interest  and 
well-being  of  the  Church  were  safe  in  my  hands, 
and  they  soon  accorded  me  all  the  courtesies,  respect, 
and  recognition  due  the  presiding  officer  of  their 
Conference.  We  could  not  secure  a  competent  sec- 
retary, and  I  had  to  record  the  proceedings  of  the 
Conference  and  preside  also.  This  made  the  work 
irksome  and  slow.  After  closing  what  was  consid- 
ered as  one  of  the  best  Conferences  ever  held  in 
Minden,  I  returned  home  and  made  preparations  for 
the  holding  of  my  first  Annual  Conference. 

< 

My  First  Annual  Conference. 

My  first  Annual  Conference  was  the  West  Texas 
Annual  Conference,  which  convened  at  Waxahachie, 

72 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Ellis  County,  Tex.,  in  1873.  En  route  to  the  seat 
of  the  Conference  my  experiences  were  everything 
but  pleasant.  I  had  only  a  small  sum  of  money, 
and  while  on  a  train  a  man  robbed  me  of  that.  I 
had  to  go  through  St.  Louis  and  Sedalia,  Mo.,  and 
then  via  the  St.  Louis  and  Texas  Central  Railroad. 
I  reached  the  State  line  of  Texas  and  Oklahoma 
(then  the  Indian  Territory).  It  was  about  sun- 
down, and  I  had  some  sixty  miles  yet  to  go  before 
reaching  Dallas,  my  destination.  Here  I  found 
Rev.  A.  J.  Burrows  hard  at  work.  From  Dallas  I 
went  to  Waxahachie,  a  small  town  about  sixty  miles 
south  of  Dallas. 

The  Conference  was  well  attended;  but  the  year 
had  been  a  hard  one  for  the  brethren,  and  their  re- 
ports were  very  poor.  The  preachers  had  not  re- 
ceived very  much  in  the  way  of  support,  and  the 
general  interest  of  the  Church  had  suffered  likewise. 
To  indicate  the  nature  of  the  support  that  was  given, 
I  give  one  item  that  will  be  quite  interesting  to  the 
students  of  the  conditions  that  prevailed  during 
those  days.  For  the  support  of  the  bishop  the  Con- 
ference had  been  asked  to  raise  forty  dollars,  and 
they  reported  having  raised  three  and  one-half  dol- 
lars. It  was  at  this  place  that  one  of  those  unpleas- 
ant events  took  place — viz.,  the  African  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  had  gotten  a  hold  among  our 
people  and  greatly  divided  them.  As  a  result  the 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  did  not  do 
very  much  and   made   impossible   the   success    we 

73 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

would  have  had  under  favorable  conditions.  I  lec- 
tured and  preached  and  exhorted  and  helped  them  in 
every  way  I  could  and  then  left  for  my  next  ap- 
pointment. 

My  Second  Annual  Conference. 

My  next  Annual  Conference  took  me  to  Hender- 
son, Rusk  County,  Tex.,  a  distance  of  over  two 
hundred  miles.  Of  this,  forty  miles  had  to  be  trav- 
eled on  horseback.  It  was  a  long  and  painful  trip. 
Upon  the  advice  of  friends,  I  stopped  with  Brother 
M.cElroy,  a  very  aged  man  who  was  greatly  afflicted 
with  the  palsy.  He  could  not  do  anything  for  my 
comfort;  but  his  wife,  a  young  woman,  did  what 
she  could  to  make  my  stay  pleasant.  I  found  the 
brethren  much  disappointed  and  disgruntled.  For 
years  Bishop  Miles  had  been  using  a  white  man  as 
the  secretary  of  the  Conference.  The  brethren  had 
learned  that  this  white  man  could  not  be  present,  as 
he  had  been  called  to  attend  court  in  a  neighboring 
town,  and  they  were  at  a  loss  to  know  how  the  Con- 
ference could  be  held  without  a  competent  secretary. 
The  delegates  and  ministers  hesitated  in  coming  into 
the  Conference  room.  We  opened  after  the  usual 
manner  and  then  sent  for  the  brethren  to  come  in, 
as  we  were  ready  to  begin  the  work  of  the  Confer- 
ence. We  sang,  read  the  Scriptures,  exhorted,  and 
preached  the  best  we  could,  and  gradually  the  breth- 
ren saw  that  we  could  have  a  good  meeting  if  the 
secretary  was  not  there  to  make  a  record  of  our 

74 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

transactions.  With  my  personal  assistance,  we  used 
a  layman  and  got  along  very  well  with  the  minutes 
and  the  wTork  of  keeping  the  journal.  This  was  a 
large  Conference ;  and  although  asked  to  raise  three 
hundred  and  eighty  dollars  for  the  support  of  the 
bishop,  they  reported  only  fifty-seven  dollars. 
When  we  called  the  attention  of  the  brethren  to  the 
importance  and  necessity  of  raising  the  small  amount 
asked  for  the  support  of  the  bishops  of  the  Church, 
the  brethren  seemed  to  have  been  surprised  to  know 
that  they  would  be  expected  to  bring  money  for  the 
bishops  instead  of  the  bishops  sending  money  to 
them. 

My  Third  Annual  Conference. 

The  Louisiana  Annual  Conference,  which  con- 
vened in  Homer,  La.,  was  the  third  Annual  Confer- 
ence I  was  called  upon  to  hold.  En  route  to  Minden 
I  stopped  over  in  Marshall,  Tex.,  where  I  preached 
to  an  audience  of  white  and  colored  people.  They 
heard  me  gladly  and  gave  me  twenty  dollars  to  help 
in  carrying  forward  the  work  in  which  I  was  en- 
gaged. This  made  seventy-seven  dollars  that  I  had 
received  in  the  way  of  salary  during  the  year.  At 
Homer  we  held  the  Conference  under  many  diffi- 
culties. Our  work  was  not  organized,  the  people 
had  not  been  trained,  and  there  was  apparent  every- 
where a  want  of  unification  of  purpose  and  a  con- 
cert of  action  on  the  part  of  the  workers.  As  a 
result  during  the  year  the  brethren  had  not  accom- 

77 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

plished  what  they  might  have  done  under  more  fa- 
vorable conditions.  Of  the  three  hundred  and  eighty 
dollars  that  the  Conference  was  assessed,  they  had 
raised  only  eighty  dollars.  I  explained  the  system 
of  finance  we  were  inaugurating,  and  the  brethren 
promised  to  do  better  another  year.  Let  it  be  said 
to  their  credit  that  they  lived  up  to  their  new  reso- 
lutions. 

With  the  adjournment  of  this  Conference  my 
first  year  as  a  bishop  came  to  a  close.  I  had  worked 
hard  during  the  year  and  had  but  little  financial  help. 
On  my  salary  the  Church  had  paid  me  only  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  dollars  and  fifteen  cents  during  the 
year,  and  my  expenses  necessarily  carried  me  far 
into  debt.  My  family  was  large  and  dependent,  and 
my  responsibilities  were  many.  In  order  to  make 
my  episcopal  tour  I  had  borrowed  two  hundred  dol- 
lars. My  note  was  about  to  fall  due,  and  something 
must  be  done  to  enable  me  to  meet  it.  My  wife  and 
children  had  a  crop  of  cotton.  This  I  sold,  and  with 
the  money  I  paid  the  debt  and  took  up  the  note.  I 
then  worked  hard  to  replace  this  money.  I  cut 
wood  and  hauled  it  to  town  and  sold  it,  making 
enough  money  thereby  to  buy  such  things  as  cloth- 
ing and  other  provisions  that  were  needed  by  my 
family.  This  was  a  hard  year  for  me  and  one  that 
I  shall  never  forget.  The  labor,  deprivations,  and 
hardships  I  endured  were  enough  to  bring  tears  to 
my  eyes.  The  young  ministers  of  our  Church,  even 
those   serving  missions  to-dav,   do  not  know  our 

78 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

suffering  during  those  early  pioneer  days  of  our 
Church. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1874  I  was  called  to  Texas 
on  business  for  the  Church,  and  after  attending  to 
the  work  I  attempted  to  return  home.  The  high 
waters  prevented  my  returning ;  and  a  white  brother, 
learning  of  my  condition,  gave  me  enough  money  to 
pay  my  fare  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  Bishop  Miles 
had  called  us  to  our  annual  meeting.  The  General 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  was  in  session  in  Louisville  at  this  time,  and 
it  was  very  necessary  for  us  to  meet  in  that  city.  I 
reached  Louisville  at  night  and  took  a  carriage  for 
the  home  of  Bishop  W.  H.  Miles.  He  was  out  of 
the  city,  but  his  wife  provided  for  me  the  best  she 
could.  The  next  morning  Bishop  Miles  and  the 
other  bishops  of  our  Church  reached  the  city.  We 
had  a  short  session  and  then  adjourned  in  order  to 
visit  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South.  The  Conference  gladly  heard 
our  message  and  renewed  their  assurances  of  inter- 
est, sympathy,  and  good  will.  The  next  day  we  had 
our  annual  meeting.  The  bishops  made  their  re- 
ports, which  showed  steady  progress  and  improve- 
ment. We  laid  off  the  work  for  the  next  year  the 
best  we  could  and  discussed  many  of  the  perplexing 
questions  and  problems  that  were  still  before  the 
Church. 

Our  General  Conference  was  soon  to  meet,  and 
there  were  the  usual  things  to  be  done  prior  to  the 

79 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

meeting  of  this  body.  The  message  had  to  be  writ- 
ten, the  recommendations  had  to  be  agreed  upon, 
and  general  direction  given  to  the  advancement  of 
every  interest  of  the  Church.  I  had  entertained  the 
hopes  of  getting  some  money  at  this  meeting,  but  all 
my  hopes  soon  vanished  when  it  became  evident  that 
there  was  not  a  cent  available  for  such  purposes. 
During  the  year  I  had  received  far  less  than  my 
expenses  incurred  in  traveling  over  the  connection. 
The  bishops  agreed  to  my  preaching  en  route  home, 
and  by  taking  up  collections  I  thus  became  able  to 
pay  my  fare  home.  This  I  did,  arriving  home  after 
an  absence  of  six  or  eight  weeks.  Finding  my  wife 
sick  and  despondent,  I  gave  such  comfort  and  help 
as  I  could ;  and  I  began  at  once  to  make  preparation 
for  the  care  of  my  family  during  my  absence  in  at- 
tendance upon  the  General  Conference  and  the  An- 
nual Conferences  that  were  soon  to  be  upon  me. 
This  I  did  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  I  cut  and 
hauled  to  town  wood  for  sale  and  did  such  other  job 
work  as  I  could  get  to  do  and  at  the  same  time 
helped  in  every  way  I  could  with  my  crop. 

80 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Third  General  Conference  of  the  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  America. 

The  General  Conference  that  convened  in  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  in  August,  1874,  was  the  third  General 
Conference  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America.  At  this  time  the  country  was 
passing  through  a  great  financial  crisis.  On  account 
of  the  long  drought,  crops  had  failed,  money  was 
scarce,  and  there  was  much  suffering  among  the 
people.  In  spite  of  these  untoward  conditions,  the 
General  Conference  was  well  attended.  The  breth- 
ren soon  got  down  to  business.  Although  there  was 
to  be  no  election  of  bishops,  the  interest  in  the  gen- 
eral work  of  the  Church  was  not  wanting.  The  re- 
port of  the  bishops  showed  much  improvement  in 
our  organization.  There  were  reported  fifteen  An- 
nual Conferences,  with  a  membership  of  six  hundred 
and  seven  traveling  preachers  and  seventy-five  thou- 
sand communicants.  Like  the  rest  of  us,  the  Senior 
Bishop,  William  H.  Miles,  was  impressed  with  the 
importance  and  necessity  of  a  better-prepared  min- 
istry as  the  one  outstanding,  crying  need  of  the  hour. 
This  one  idea  grew  upon  this  great  and  good  man 
until  finally  he  threw  himself  into  the  movement  of 
founding  a  great  central  school,  with  a.  number  of 
smaller  and  more  elementary  schools  that  were  to 
6  81 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

serve  as  feeders.  It  became  the  one  burning  and  all- 
absorbing  question  upon  his  mind  and  heart.  He 
had  laid  his  plans  before  the  General  Conference  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  just  a  few 
weeks  before  and  had  been  given  some  encourage- 
ment from  the  bishops,  general  officers,  and  dele- 
gates. One  member  of  the  Memphis  Conference 
gave  one  hundred  dollars,  while  others  gave  smaller 
amounts.  The  other  bishops  of  the  Church  joined 
the  Senior  Bishop  in  this  work,  the  General  Confer- 
ence indorsed  the  movement,  and  upward  of  six- 
teen thousand  dollars  was  raised  for  this  purpose. 
Later  on  Bishop  Miles  traveled  far  and  near,  urg- 
ing the  importance  of  this  work  and  making  appeals 
in  its  behalf.  I  remember  many  of  his  terse,  trench- 
ant sayings.  Being  a  man  of  unusual  ability,  he 
swayed  his  audiences  by  his  convincing  logic  and 
his  matchless  eloquence  in  his  appeals.  It  is  said 
that  no  man  could  sit  under  the  sound  of  his  voice 
without  being  thoroughly  moved.  The  General 
Conference  took  steps  to  carry  out  the  plans  of  its 
great  leader.  It  adopted  the  Central  University  as 
the  name  of  the  proposed  school  and  decided  upon 
Louisville,  Ky.,  as  the  site.  It  appointed  Bishop 
W.  H.  Miles  as  its  Agent  and  urged  the  ministers 
throughout  the  connection  to  take  a  collection  for 
the  college,  sending  the  same  at  once  to  the  Agent. 
It  called  upon  our  people  and  friends  of  the  race 
everywhere  to  assist  in  this  great  and  laudable  en- 
terprise. 

82 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

While  the  establishing  of  a  system  of  schools  was 
the  one  outstanding  question,  there  were  other  mat- 
ters that  received  the  attention  of  the  Conference. 
The  salary  of  the  Senior  Bishop  was  placed  at  one 
thousand  dollars  per  year  and  his  traveling  expenses, 
while  the  salaries  of  the  other  bishops  were  placed  at 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  year  and  their 
traveling  expenses.  These  amounts  were  prorated 
among  the  various  Annual  Conferences  and  were 
regarded  in  a  way  as  assessments.  While  this  mon- 
ey was  never  raised,  the  action  of  the  General  Con- 
ference made  clear  a  plan  that  some  day  was  to  be 
operative  in  the  Church. 

The  Rev.  E.  B.  Martin  was  the  efficient  Secretary 
of  this  Conference  and  as  such  rendered  signal  serv- 
ice to  the  Church.  He  afterwards  became  editor  of 
the  Christian  Index  and  pastor  of  Center  Street  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Louisville,  Ky. 
Martin's  short  and  brilliant  career  in  the  Church 
came  to  a  sudden  close  because  of  family  troubles 
that  he  could  not  control  and  of  conduct  involving 
his  moral  character. 

83 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Period  from  1874  to  1880,  Including  the 
Fourth  General  Conference. 

I  regard  the  period  from  1874  to  1880  as  one  of 
great  transition.  Everything  was  still  in  motion. 
There  was  nothing  that  had  become  fixed  and  defi- 
nite in  form  or  mode.  Every  Church  movement  was 
being  tried  and  every  plan  inaugurated  tested.  It 
is  not  surprising  that  many  of  these  plans  failed. 
It  is  rather  astonishing  that  so  many  of  them  suc- 
ceeded. We  were  feeling  very  keenly  the  encroach- 
ments that  the  other  Churches  were  making  upon  us. 
They  constantly  referred  to  us  as  a  Southern 
Church,  a  rebel  Church,  and  the  like,  and  those 
names  were  very  distasteful  to  our  people. 

As  early  as  1866  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  through  their  bishops,  urged  our  uniting  with 
them,  claiming  that  there  was  no  room  in  this  coun- 
try for  another  independent  organization.  A  me- 
morial in  the  form  of  a  petition  was  sent  to  the 
bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
during  their  General  Conference  that  convened  in 
New  Orleans,  La.  At  once  we  made  it  known  that 
we  preferred  a  separate  organization  of  our  own, 
regularly  established  and  organized  after  our  own 
ideas  and  notions.  The  bishops  and  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Southern  Church  readily  agreed  with 
us,  and  the  petition  was  most  respectfully  returned 

84 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

with  regrets  that  the  present  conditions  would  not 
justify  the  granting  of  the  petition  as  it  had  been 
presented. 

During  this  extraordinary  period  there  were  many 
overtures  made  for  organic  union  between  oui 
Church,  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion 
Church,  and  the  colored  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church ;  but  no  plan  or  basis  of  union 
was  ever  worked  out  and  submitted  on  which  we 
could  agree,  and  this  division  has  continued  all  these 
years. 

Our  Publication  House  up  to  this  time  had  not 
proved  a  paying  proposition.  There  was  constantly 
a  deficit  in  the  publishing  of  the  Christian  Index, 
and  now  something  had  to  be  done  to  save  it  to  the 
Church.  It  had  been  moved  from  Memphis  to  Lou- 
isville, and  from  Louisville  to  Memphis  again,  and 
the  deficit  continued.  What  was  to  be  done  was  still 
the  question. 

Our  educational  movement  had  proved  to  be  more 
of  a  failure  than  our  publishing  department.  Fifty 
thousand  dollars  was  needed  to  establish  the  con- 
nectional  school,  and  it  was  necessary  to  have  ten 
thousand  dollars  at  once  to  save  to  the  connection 
the  property  already  purchased  by  Bishop  Miles. 
This  money  could  not  be  raised ;  and  Bishop  Miles, 
disappointed  and  greatly  disheartened,  decided  to 
abandon  the  educational  work  and  leave  the  field 
for  others  to  cultivate.     This  was  in  1878. 

The  period  from  1874  to  1880  was  not  onlv  a 
85 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

period  of  great  trial  to  the  Church,  when  her  plans 
and  policy  were  being  tested ;  but  it  was  also  a  period 
of  much  hard  work,  many  disappointments,  and 
hardships  for  her  bishops.  Demands  for  their 
services  were  constantly  made,  and  the  money  nec- 
essary to  cover  their  expense  in  traveling  over  the 
railroad  from  one  point  to  another  was  not  avail- 
able. As  we  have  already  recorded,  our  salaries 
were  small,  and  rarely  did  any  of  the  bishops  receive 
more  than  six  hundred  dollars  per  year  in  the  way 
of  salary.  In  1875  I  received  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty dollars,  and  the  next  year  I  was  paid  the  hand- 
some salary  of  three  hundred  and  eighty  dollars! 
The  territory  over  which  I  traveled  entailed  much 
traveling;  and  had  I  not  been  energetic  and  ambi- 
tious for  my  family,  we  should  have  suffering  dur- 
ing those  days. 

In  the  fall  of  1877  I  held  the  Georgia  Confer- 
ence. Among  the  other  discussions  provoking  much 
thought  were  the  requirements  of  a  person  who  de- 
sires to  become  a  member  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America.  The  next  year 
(1878)  the  General  Conference  met  in  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  I  requested  the  bishops  to  pass  upon  a 
form  that  might  be  used  throughout  the  connection 
by  ministers  in  receiving  members  into  the  Church. 
This  form  as  drafted  by  me  was  adopted  by  the 
bishops  and  the  General  Conference;  and,  without 
any  change,  it  has  been  used  ever  since.  It  is  as 
follows  and  can  be  found  in  our  Book  of  Discipline 

85 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

on  page  257:  "To  this  question,  asked  by  the  minis- 
ter, the  candidate  must  answer  in  the  affirmative: 
'Do  you  solemnly,  in  the  presence  of  God  and  this 
congregation,  ratify  and  confirm  the  promise  and 
vow  of  repentance,  faith,  and  obedience  contained 
in  the  baptismal  covenant?'  " 

This  General  Conference  did  much  constructive 
work  in  the  way  of  legislation  and  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  we  have  ever  held. 

It  was  at  this  General  Conference  that  it  became 
very  apparent  to  all  that  unless  something  was  done 
our  beautiful  Israel  Metropolitan  Church,  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  would  be  lost  to  the  connection  be- 
cause of  financial  conditions  that  had  developed. 
The  local  Church  was  unable  to  take  care  of  the 
large  debt  that  was  hanging  over  the  Church  prop- 
erty, and  we  were  notified  that  unless  something  was 
done  at  once  the  Church  property  would  be  lost  to 
the  connection.  In  order  to  give  the  necessary  re- 
lief, the  Conference  levied  an  assessment  of  ten  cents 
per  member  upon  the  whole  Church,  and  I  was  elect- 
ed as  the  Special  Agent  and  Treasurer  of  this  fund. 
We  raised  enough  money  to  "tide"  the  property 
over,  but  the  original  debt  was  not  reduced  to  any 
appreciable  extent.  That  debt  has  continued  to  ex- 
ist all  these  years  and  has  been  a  decided  draw- 
back to  the  building  up  of  our  Church  work  at  the 
seat  of  our  national  government,  where  we  should 
have  not  only  a  representative  church  edifice,  but 
a  large,  representative  congregation  of  worshipers. 

%7 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

The  General  Conference  of  1882  enacted  much 
important  legislation.  The  Church  work  began  to 
take  on  the  departmental  form,  and  the  machinery 
had  to  be  adjusted  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  times. 
The  Church  manifested  considerable  interest  in  the 
founding  and  establishing  of  her  educational  insti- 
tutions, and  new  leaders  were  being  developed  for 
the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ.  The  failure  on  the  part  of  {he  Church  in 
establishing  the  schools  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  Sar- 
dis,  Miss.,  had  dampened  the  educational  ardor  of 
the  leaders,  but  in  no  way  discouraged  the  people 
or  lessened  the  desire  of  both  leaders  and  people  for 
schools  of  their  own.  So  as  early  as  1878  there  was 
a  movement  inaugurated  in  the  Tennessee  Confer- 
ence for  the  establishing  of  a  school  of  high  grade 
at  Jackson.  Rev.  D.  L.  Jackson,  of  Alabama,  Revs. 
C.  H.  Lee,  J.  H.  Ridley,  Sandy  Rivers,  Berry 
Smith,  J.  K.  Daniel,  and  others  were  leaders  in  this 
movement.  In  1879  Bishop  Lane  came  to  the  as- 
sistance of  the  Church,  and  the  movement  began  to 
take  on  a  tangible  form  which  eventually  led  to  the 
founding  of  Lane  College.  A  similar  movement 
began  in  Georgia  under  the  leadership  of  Bishop 
L.  H.  Holsey  and  resulted  in  the  founding,  in  1883, 
of  Paine  College. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

My  Work  Following  the  Fifth  and  Sixth  Gen- 
eral Conferences. 

The  fifth  General  Conference  of  the  Colored 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America  convened 
in  Augusta,  Ga.,  May  4,  1882,  and  transacted  some 
very  important  business.  Among  the  most  striking 
pieces  of  constructive  legislation  done  by  the  General 
Conference  was  the  one  requiring  all  ministers,  both 
local  and  traveling,  to  subscribe  for  the  Christian 
Index,  the  official  organ  of  the  Church.  This  law 
has  relieved  the  Church  of  the  continued  embarrass- 
ment in  the  publishing  of  the  connectional  organ. 
Its  wisdom  is  recognized  in  that  this  law  has  never 
been  repealed  and  is  in  vogue  to-day.  The  Publica- 
tion House  was  moved  from  Louisville,  Ky.,  to  Jack- 
son, Tenn.,  where  it  has  remained  ever  since  1882. 

During  the  General  Conference  of  1886,  in  laying 
off  the  plan  of  episcopal  visitation,  I  was  assigned 
to  the  Western  field  of  labor  again.  My  first  An- 
nual Conference  met  at  Mountain  Fork,  Ind.  Ter., 
August  19,  1886.  On  my  way  to  this  Conference  I 
stopped  at  Clarksville,  Red  River  County,  Tex.,  and 
then  went  on  to  Shawneetown.  I  had  been  ad- 
vised to  spend  the  night  in  the  home  of  Brother 
Mitchell  Shaw,  one  of  our  preachers.  I  went  there 
and  was  received  by  him  and  his  wife.  Mrs.  Shaw 
was  an  Indian  and  did  not  know  anvthing  of  the 

89 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

manners  and  customs  of  the  States'  people.  Crude 
and  coarse,  there  was  a  complete  want  of  all  social 
intercourse  and  pleasantries,  and  for  that  reason  I 
did  not  care  to  stay.  Brother  Shaw  was  living  after 
the  most  primitive  manner,  and  I  decided  that  it 
would  be  pleasanter  for  me  to  be  traveling  along 
during  the  night  than  to  stay  there  in  the  hut  of 
Brother  Shaw  under  the  existing  conditions.  With 
my  pony,  I  set  out  on  this  long  and  perilous  trip. 
It  was  during  this  night  that  I  had  the  saddest  ex- 
perience of  my  life.  In  fact,  at  one  time  I  gave  up 
all  hopes  of  living  to  see  the  next  morning.  I  had 
never  traveled  through  that  country  before  and  did 
not  know  the  paths  (for  there  were  no  roads)  nor 
the  directions.  I  was  soon  lost  in  the  woods,  in  the 
thickets  and  heavy  undergrowths,  and  wandered 
about  until  about  midnight,  when  I  came  to  a  man's 
house  out  in  the  lonesome  forest,  far  removed  from 
the  roadside  or  any  other  house.  It  was  the  hut  of 
an  Indian.  He  and  his  wife  heard  my  call  and  came 
out  to  the  fence  almost  nude.  Their  very  sight  was 
frightful  to  me.  I  tried  to  tell  them  where  I  wanted 
to  go,  and  in  reply  they  gave  me  signs  with  their 
heads  which  were  as  meaningless  to  me  as  they 
were  amusing.  In  fact,  I  could  not  understand 
them,  and  all  I  said  was  meaningless  to  them.  I 
now  saw  that  all  efforts  on  my  part  to  make  mvself 
understood  were  useless,  and  I  left  with  about  as 
much  satisfaction  as  I  had  before  I  stopped. 

I  continued  to  wander  about  until  I  came  to  a 
90 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

village  called  Monther  Fork.  I  passed  through  the 
village  to  the  outskirts ;  and  there  I  stretched  out 
on  the  ground,  using  my  saddle  as  a  pillow,  where 
I  remained  until  daybreak.  I  did  not  sleep  or  rest 
any  because  of  the  strangeness  of  the  place  and  the 
many  unsightly  things  thereabout.  At  the  dawn 
of  day  I  saw  a  man  across  the  way  feeding  his  stock. 
I  went  over  and  talked  with  him.  He  was  a  white 
man  and  could  speak  English.  I  was  glad  to  find 
some  one  whom  I  could  understand  and  who  at  the 
same  time  could  understand  me.  He  informed  me 
that  he  was  personally  acquainted  with  Rev.  Lemon 
Butler,  one  of  my  preachers,  and  took  great  care  in 
pointing  out  the  direction  and  describing  the  way 
by  which  I  could  reach  his  home. 

I  was  greatly  encouraged  and  started  out  with 
renewed  determination.  It  was  shortly  after  seven 
o'clock  when  I  reached  the  home  of  Rev.  Butler. 
After  he  and  his  family  found  out  who  I  was  and 
my  mission,  they  gladly  took  me  in,  gave  me  break- 
fast, and  ministered  to  my  comfort  the  best  they 
could.  After  resting  there  awhile,  these  good  peo- 
ple put  me  on  the  road  to  the  church  house,  Brown's 
Chapel,  named  in  honor  of  Dr.  Robert  Turner 
Brown,  their  former  pastor,  who  built  it. 

There  I  held  the  Indian  Territory  Mission  Con- 
ference. Some  well-dressed  Indians  came  out  to 
hear  me  preach.  They  appeared  friendly  enough, 
but  I  could  not  get  acquainted  with  their  peculiar 
mannerism  and  apparent  indifference.     I  saw  many 

9* 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

hopeful  signs  for  this  Mission  Conference.  All  in 
all,  we  had  a  fairly  good  Conference. 

At  the  adjournment  of  the  Indian  Territory  Mis- 
sion Conference  I  started  for  the  seat  of  my  next 
Annual  Conference,  which  was  to  be  held  at  New- 
ton, Kans.  I  returned  largely  the  way  I  went. 
When  I  got  to  Red  River  I  lay  out  all  night.  The 
next  morning  I  got  an  early  start  for  Clarksville, 
and  from  there  I  went  on  to  Sherman,  Tex.  In  or- 
der to  fill  some  engagements  that  had  been  made  for 
me,  I  went  up  the  Texas  and  Houston  Central  Rail- 
road to  Stringtown,  Ind.  Ter.,  and  other  places  in 
that  section  of  the  country.  At  Stringtown  I  had  a 
very  pleasant  stay  in  the  home  of  an  aged  man  who 
once  lived  in  my  native  town.  It  was,  indeed,  a 
pleasure  to  talk  with  him  about  the  ways  of  the  peo- 
ple in  the  Territory  and  the  conditions  that  prevailed 
at  that  time  in  that  new  and  open  country. 

From  Stringtown  I  went  on  to  Newton,  Kans., 
where  I  held  our  Annual  Conference  in  the  white 
people's  church  in  Newton.  The  people,  both  white 
and  colored,  showed  me  every  courtesy  and  made  our 
work  a  success.  I  traveled  over  Kansas  with  Rev. 
Berry  Smith.  He  was  my  strongest  man  out  there, 
as  was  Rev.  U.  S.  Smith  in  the  Territory.  These 
two  old  pioneers  of  our  Church  were  great  men  in 
that  day  for  the  people  of  that  country.  They  did  a 
service  for  the  race  and  Church  that  was  far-reach- 
ing in  its  influence.  The  history  of  our  Church  work 
in  the  West  would  be  incomplete  without  a  full  chap- 

92 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

ter  being  devoted  to  the  work  and  sacrifices  of  those 
early  fathers.     God  bless  their  memory ! 

At  Newton  we  held  a  good  Conference,  at  the 
close  of  which  I  hastened  home  to  be  with  my  fam- 
ily and  to  make  preparation  for  the  meeting  of  the 
General  Conference  at  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

93 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Seventh  General  Conference  of  the  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
Some  Transpiring  Events. 

Since  the  adjournment  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence that  convened  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  May  5,  1886, 
many  important  events  had  taken  place  within  the 
Church.  The  general  fund  assessment  created  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  money  with  which  to  meet 
the  obligations  of  the  general  Church  had  worked 
well  and  was  far  superior  in  results  to  anything 
that  the  Church  had  ever  tried  before. 

Mr.  Samuel  B.  Wallace,  a  prominent  layman  of 
Columbia,  S.  C,  resolved  to  leave  the  African  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  and  come  over  to  the  Colored 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Others  agreed  to  fol- 
low him ;  and  finally  the  whole  membership,  together 
with  the  congregation — the  membership  numbering 
about  six  hundred,  with  a  following  of  something 
like  fifteen  hundred — came  with  him  and  joined  the 
Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  connection,  bringing 
with  them  much  valuable  Church  property.  Wallace 
was  a  man  of.  rare  gifts  and  many  talents,  and  soon 
after  joining  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  he  was  licensed  to  preach.  His  stay  in  the 
local  ranks  was  short,  as  his  services  were  soon 
needed  elsewhere.  He  rose  rapidly  into  prominence, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  untimely  death  he  was  one  of 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  most  prominent  preachers  in  the  whole  connec- 
tion. It  was  generally  conceded  that,  had  Wallace 
lived,  he  would  have  been  called  to  the  episcopacy  of 
the  Church  of  his  choice.  His  career  in  the  ministry 
was  short  but  brilliant,  and  his  death  was  a  subject 
of  great  lamentation  throughout  the  connection. 

Among  the  Church  schools  that  were  now  organ- 
ized were  Lane  College,  Jackson,  Tenn.,  Paine  Col- 
lege, Augusta,  Ga.,  Phillips  College,  Tyler,  Tex., 
Haygood  Seminary,  Washington,  Ark.,  and  two 
Alabama  schools  located  at  Booker  City  and  Tusca- 
loosa, Ala. 

From  the  above  facts  it  can  be  easily  seen  that  the 
approaching  General  Conference  would  be  interest- 
ing. No  bishops  had  been  elected  since  the  Confer- 
ence convened  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  1873,  and  some  of 
the  delegates  thought  it  well  to  elect  at  least  one 
more  bishop  at  this  Conference.  The  advocates  of 
the  election  of  an  additional  bishop  pointed  out  the 
fact  that  Bishop  Miles  was  in  feeble  health  and  that 
Bishop  Holsey  was  in  need  of  rest  and  recuperation, 
and  they  urged  the  importance  of  the  Conference's 
electing  at  least  one  more  bishop.  Much  confusion 
and  disputation  existed  among  the  brethren,  and 
finally  it  was  agreed  to  abandon  the  idea  of  increas- 
ing the  number  of  bishops  at  this  session  of  the  Con- 
ference. Bishop  Holsey  asked  to  be  relieved  of  epis- 
copal duties  in  order  that  he  might  regain  his  broken 
and  impaired  health.  The  matter  was  taken  under 
advisement,  and  the  bishops  saw  their  way  clear  to 

95 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

lighten  his  duties  and  responsibilities,  and  this  was 
done  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Bishop  and  the  Con- 
ference. 

The  General  Conference  had  established  its  rela- 
tion with  all  other  Methodist  bodies  and  had  frater- 
nal delegates  at  the  Ecumenical  Conference  and  the 
General  Conferences  of  all  the  other  Methodist 
Churches,  and  thus  with  the  close  of  the  quadren- 
nium  the  Church  was  recognized  as  never  before  as 
a  great  power  for  good  in  this  country. 

96 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Great  Need  of  a  Denominational  School 

— My  Inspiration  and  Early  Efforts — 

Founding  of  Lane  College. 

I  began  the  work  of  a  bishop  under  great  disad- 
vantages. Not  having  had  the  opportunity  of  early 
training  in  the  science  of  letters,  it  was  very  embar- 
rassing to  me  to  preach  to  congregations  composed 
of  so  many  persons  who  had  enjoyed  those  advan- 
tages. Nevertheless,  by  consecrating  myself  to  my 
Heavenly  Father  and  applying  myself  to  such  books 
as  I  had,  I  got  possession  of  a  vocabulary  of  words 
and  a  line  of  thought  that  served  me  well  on  all  oc- 
casions. Wherever  I  went,  my  services,  were  accept- 
able, and  the  people  heard  me  gladly.  I  continued 
to  study,  and  by  using  all  I  had  I  grew  in  knowledge 
and  power  of  speech.  Above  all,  I  wanted  to  be  a 
good  man,  and  when  a  young  man  I  resolved  that 
I  would  live  a  pure,  upright  life  before  God  and  my 
fellow  man.  I  knew  that  if  I  could  not  be  learned 
or  rich  I  could  be  upright  in  my  life. 

I  took  special  notice  of  the  conditions  of  my  peo- 
ple and  found  that  our  preachers  needed  a  common- 
school  education  such  as  would  enable  them  to  read 
and  write  and  speak  the  English  language  correctly. 
It  became  apparent  to  me  that  unless  the  minister 
were  able  to  speak  the  native  language  correctly  he 
would  not  be  able  to  command  respect  and  recog- 
7  97 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

nition  from  the  better-informed  members  of  the 
congregations,  whose  influence  he  most  needed. 
We  needed  a  training  school.  I  saw  also  that  we 
could  not  maintain  our  Church  as  a  separate  organi- 
zation without  intelligent  representatives  who  were 
able  to  defend  its  doctrines  and  support  its  polity. 
I  realized,  furthermore,  that  if  other  denominations 
trained  our  young  people  they  would  train  them 
largely  in  their  doctrines  and  Church  usage,  and  that 
would  mean  that  our  people  would  be  in  a  measure 
trained  from  our  Church.  So  it  became  necessary 
and  urgent  for  us  to  establish  and  operate  a  school 
of  high  grade  for  our  Church.  But  what  could  I 
do?  I  was  poor  and  had  a  large  family  of  children 
to  care  for,  and  I  had  to  work  hard  in  order  to  give 
them  a  chance  at  an  education  and  at  the  same  time 
provide  properly  for  their  support. 

Some  years  before  Bishop  William  Henry  Miles 
saw  the  situation  as  clearly  as  I  and  attempted  to 
carry  out  a  scheme  that  was  in  keeping  with  his 
vision  and  the  necessity  of  the  hour,  but  his  ambi- 
tion was  too  great  and  his  plans  were  too  big  for 
the  resources  and  wealth  available  to  carry  them  into 
effect.  He  wanted  to  establish  a  system  of  schools, 
and  a  failure  was  inevitable.  These  observations 
did  not  make  the  field  very  inviting  to  me.  I  had 
been  among  the  colored  people  a  great  deal,  and 
I  knew  that  they  did  not  have  much  money  and 
but  little  love  for  education.  Just  out  of  slavery, 
poor  and  ignorant,  it  was  almost  unthinkable  for 

98 


OLD   MAIN    HALL,   LANE  COLLEGE. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

them  to  own,  control,  and  operate  a  high  school  or 
college.    Such  was  looked  upon  as  preposterous. 

Bishop  L.  H.  Holsey  spent  several  weeks  in  Ten- 
nessee raising  money  with  which  to  purchase  the 
grounds  for  a  school  to  be  located  within  the  bounds 
of  the  State.  I  then  came  to  the  work  and  took  it 
up  where  he  had  left  off.  The  brethren  had  met 
with  some  reverses  and  were  much  disheartened. 
I  met  with  them  and  soon  had  the  situation  and 
plans  well  in  hand.  We  had  raised  enough  money 
to  buy  the  four  acres  of  ground  upon  which  the 
principal  buildings  now  stand,  paying  cash  for  the 
same.  Having  accomplished  this  much,  the  enter- 
prise took  on  new  life,  and  then  we  started  out  to 
construct  a  building.  In  the  summer  of  1882  the 
first  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It  was  a  two-story 
frame  structure  thirty-four  feet  by  forty-four  feet, 
containing  a  chapel,  a  library,  and  recitation  rooms. 
The  large  attendance  soon  demanded  a  more  accom- 
modating building,  and  thus  we  were  pressed  for 
more  funds  with  which  to  operate  the  school  and 
provide  for  the  ever-increasing  demands.  We  need- 
ed very  much  a  room  where  the  preachers  might 
meet  and  read  and  study  the  Bible  and  the  doctrines 
of  Christ  and  his  Church.  I  remember  quite  well 
how  we  would  study  such  works  as  Binney's  "Theo- 
logical Compend"  and  Wesley's  "Lectures  and  Ser- 
mons." They  were  our  textbooks.  We  would  read 
and  discuss  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  as  we  under- 

101 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

stood  them,  and  in  this  way  the  ministers  were  great- 
ly improved  in  their  knowledge  of  the  Bible  and  the 
teachings  of  their  Church. 

As  the  years  passed  by  the  school  grew  into  prom- 
inence, and  we  found  it  imperative  to  have  larger 
and  better  buildings.  The  success  of  this  work  in 
the  early  days  was  due  to  the  careful  management 
and  the  sacrifices  on  the  part  of  so  many  earnest, 
upright  Christian  men  and  women  who  became  in- 
terested in  it.  The  trustees  selected  their  teachers 
with  care,  and  from  the  very  beginning  the  work 
had  the  indorsement  and  encouragement  of  the  best 
of  our  people.  Among  the  trustees  who  were  asso- 
ciated with  me  in  the  early  days  of  this  work  were: 
Rev.  W.  T.  Thomas,  of  Alabama;  Rev.  J.  A.  Hatch- 
er and  Rev.  P.  A.  Samples,  of  Kentucky;  Revs.  I. 
H.  Anderson,  S.  Bobo,  R.  Bates,  M.  Ralston,  Berry 
Cannon,  and  J.  C.  W.  Smith,  of  Mississippi ;  J.  W. 
Thurston  and  G.  L.  Davis,  of  the  Tennessee  Annual 
Conference;  besides  the  following,  of  the  West  Ten- 
nessee Annual  Conference:  Revs.  H.  N.  Snow,  C. 
H.  Lee,  W.  W.  Sevier,  M.  D.  Partee,  W.  M.  Payne, 
W.  H.  Daniel,  E.  W.  Moseley,  R.  T.  James,  H. 
Thompson,  J.  K.  Daniel,  Sandy  Rivers,  and  Berry 
Smith.  Among  the  early  teachers  who  rendered 
the  Church  and  race  great  service  as  teachers  in  the 
early  days  of  this  work,  we  might  mention  with 
propriety  Miss  Jennie  E.  Lane  (now  Mrs.  N.  C. 
Cleaves),  Prof.  J.  H.  Harper,  Dr.  C.  H.  Phillips, 
Prof.  T.  J.  Austin,  Prof.  E.  W.  Benton,  Prof.  E. 

1 02 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

W.  Bailey,  and  Prof.  E.  L.  Honesty.  All  of  these 
men  and  many  others  equally  as  earnest  and  deserv- 
ing helped  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  work  that  is 
now  known  extensively  as  Lane  College. 

Rapid  Developments. 

Because  of  the  labors  of  these  men,  Lane  Institute 
(now  Lane  College)  grew  rapidly  in  public  favor 
and  gained  prestige.  The  one  crying  need  was 
larger  and  more  modern  buildings  in  which  to  carry 
on  the  work  and  provide  for  the  care  and  protection 
of  the  many  young  men  and  young  women  who  were 
coming  from  different  States  to  enter.  It  was  ap- 
parent that  the  main  hall  would  cost  at  least  fifteen 
thousand  dollars,  besides  the  furniture  and  equip- 
ment. This  was  a  great  outlay  of  money  for  our 
people  and  required  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  those 
who  had  challenged  the  cause.  In  1895  tnis  building 
was  completed;  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year, 
October  23,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  concourse  of 
people,  it  was  dedicated  to  the  cause  of  Christian 
education  by  Bishop  R.  S.  Williams,  of  Augusta, 
Ga.  Bishop  Williams  was  assisted  in  this  work  by 
Bishop  Elias  Cottrell,  Dr.  C.  H.  Phillips  (then  edi- 
tor of  the  Christian  Index,  now  bishop),  and  several 
of  the  trustees  of  the  college.  I  acted  as  master  of 
ceremonies. 

After  this  building  had  been  erected  and  fur- 
nished, there  were  other  demands  made  upon  us. 
Our  boarding  department  was  not  sufficient  to  care 

103 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

for  the  number  of  students  who  were  coming  to  us 
from  other  places.  This  forced  us  to  provide  for 
a  dormitory  for  the  young  men  and  at  the  same  time 
enlarge  the  one  we  had  for  the  young  women.  This 
meant  an  expenditure  of  something  like  ten  thousand 
dollars  more.  Two  cottages  and  an  industrial  hall 
were  afterwards  erected. 

These  buildings  served  the  purpose  of  the  school 
until  November  4,  1904,  when  a  disastrous  fire  com- 
pletely destroyed  the  plant.  Our  loss  was  great, 
and  we  had  but  little  insurance  on  the  property.  It 
was  a  sad  scene  on  that  dark  and  cloudy  night, 
amidst  the  sprinkling  of  rain,  to  see  go  up  in  smoke 
and  down  in  ashes  buildings  that  had  cost  so  much 
in  labor,  prayers,  and  suffering.  The  school  that 
was  in  session  was  put  out  of  doors,  and  what  to  do 
was  the  one  great  question  that  confronted  us. 
When  the  money  from  the  insurance  companies  was 
collected,  we  had  less  than  ten  thousand  dollars.  We 
constructed  a  temporary  building  in  which  to  con- 
tinue the  school  work  the  best  we  could.  By  plac- 
ing the  young  men  in  the  city,  we  took  care  of  the 
girls  in  the  young  men's  hall,  which  by  chance  had 
been  saved,  and  under  these  unfavorable  conditions 
the  work  went  forward  during  the  year. 

In  passing  over  this  period  of  time  we  must  stop 
long  enough  just  here  to  make  mention  of  the  inter- 
est and  help  bestowed  upon  us  by  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South.  In  all  of  our  struggles 
we  found  the  members  of  this  Church,  together  with 

104 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

their  bishops  and  leaders,  anxious  to  help.  They 
made  contributions  from  the  very  beginning  and  are 
helping  to  foster  and  carry  on  the  work  now. 

In  1886  we  petitioned  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  to  furnish  us  a  teacher,  one  who 
could  give  instruction  in  the  science  of  theology. 
The  very  next  year  they  selected  for  this  work  the 
Rev.  T.  F.  Saunders,  D.D.,  of  the  Memphis  Confer- 
ence. Dr.  Saunders  devoted  thirteen  years  of  his 
life  to  this  work  and  did  what  he  could  for  its  ad- 
vancement. During  these  years  Dr.  Saunders  served 
as  President  of  the  school  and  Professor  of  Theol- 
ogy, and  much  good  work  was  done  under  his  ad- 
ministration. He  retired  from  the  work  with  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 

During  this  time  I  traveled  extensively  among  my 
people  and  among  the  white  people,  making  appeals 
for  financial  assistance.  I  sold  tracts,  pamphlets  of 
all  kinds,  books,  pictures,  and  the  like,  and  applied 
the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of  these  articles  to  the 
building  fund.  I  made  public  addresses,  delivered 
lectures,  and  preached  sermons.  By  taking  up  col- 
lections and  by  private  solicitations  and  public  ap- 
peals we  raised  money  with  which  to  establish  and 
carry  on  this  work.  God  gave  me  strength  and 
health,  and  I  used  these  in  his  name. 

When  the  last  dollar  on  the  old  buildings  had  been 
paid  and  I  had  about  decided  to  turn  my  attention  to 
the  mission  work  of  the  Church,  the  disastrous  fire 
of  1904,  of  which  I  have  already  spoken,  took  place. 

107 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

The  years  of  toil  and  suffering  entailed  in  raising 
money  for  our  educational  work  will  never  be  for- 
gotten by  me.  Regarded  by  some  as  a  crank  on 
the  subject  of  education,  by  others  as  a  beggar,  I 
was  ofttimes  rejected ;  but  I  continued  to  work  and 
pray,  receiving  just  enough  consideration  to  give  en- 
couragement. While  some  men  of  wealth  and  influ- 
ence refused  me  even  an  audience,  others  made 
small  donations  and  thus  kept  me  in  good  spirits 
and  in  good  cheer.  I  continued  to  work,  showing 
much  earnestness,  and  thus  grew  in  favor  with  the 
people  of  our  race,  as  well  as  with  the  people  of  the 
white  race.  In  accomplishing  the  work  I  have  done 
for  the  educational  uplift  of  the  young  people  of  our 
race  the  world  will  never  know  of  the  pain,  toil, 
suffering,  the  many  sleepless  nights,  headaches,  and 
the  mental  and  physical  anguish  I  endured  all  of 
those  years. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
A  Year  of  Great  Trial  and  Severe  Affliction. 

As  I  look  over  the  past  twenty-one  years  of  my 
career,  I  regard  the  year  1904  as  being  one  of  great 
trial  and  affliction  for  me.  On  September  14  of 
that  year  I  lost  by  fire  some  valuable  personal  prop- 
erty, the  results  of  years  of  sacrifice  and  toil.  The 
insurance  did  not  begin  to  cover  the  actual  loss.  On 
October  14,  while  en  route  to  Warrensburg,  Mo.,  to 
hold  the  Missouri  and  Kansas  Annual  Conference, 
an  excursion  train  collided  with  a  through  freight 
train  about  three  miles  east  of  Warrensburg.  We 
got  there  in  time  to  see  the  sight,  with  all  of  its  hor- 
rors and  sufferings.  I  had  never  seen  so  many  dead 
and  wounded  people  before.  Two  little  boys  died 
after  we  reached  the  scene.  It  was  enough  to  move 
the  hardest  heart  to  tears. 

It  was  during  this  Conference  session  that  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  my  wife  telling  me  that  our  old 
family  horse  had  died.  From  that  Conference  I 
hurried  home  for  a  few  days'  rest  and  recreation. 
But  before  I  had  rested  from  the  trip  the  principal 
buildings  of  Lane  College  were  destroyed  by  fire. 
This  took  place  Wednesday  night,  November  4, 
1904.  Our  loss  was  upward  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars.  It  was  a  sad  time  for  me.  I  was  about  to 
give  the  work  up;  but  my  friends,  both  white  and 
colored,  said,  "No ;  let's  build  again,"  and  I  set  out 
to  rebuild. 

109 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

On  December  27  my  dearly  beloved  son,  the  Rev. 
Charles  Wesley  Lane,  D.D.,  pastor  of  our  Church  at 
New  Madrid,  Mo.,  came  to  visit  me.  He  had  spent 
only  two  days  before  he  took  critically  ill  and  died. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  talented  of  my  children  and 
the  only  one  who  felt  a  divine  call  to  the  ministry. 
His  career,  although  short,  was  brilliant,  and  his 
life  was  useful.  He  was  the  pastor  of  a  good  many 
of  our  largest  and  best  charges  and  as  such  rendered 
great  service  as  a  preacher  and  pastor.  For  four 
years  he  presided  over  the  Memphis  District,  win- 
ning much  credit  to  himself  and  honor  to  his  God. 
His  death  brought  great  grief  to  me.  I  then  count- 
ed the  words  of  Job:  "The  Lord  giveth,  and  the 
Lord  taketh  away."  His  death  was  a  sore  trial ;  but 
the  Lord  was  with  me,  and  I  said:  "Though  he 
smite  me,  yet  will  I  trust  him." 

The  Nezv  Lane  College. 

We  now  come  to  a  period  of  great  activity.  The 
principal  buildings  at  Lane  College  had  been  de- 
stroyed in  the  awful  fire  of  1904,  and  I  had  made  it 
up  in  my  mind  to  undertake  the  work  of  rebuilding. 

The  first  and  most  needed  building  was  a  main 
hall,  in  which  recitation  rooms,  classrooms,  study 
halls,  chapels,  library,  and  office  rooms  might  be  had. 
We  employed  Mr.  R.  A.  Heavner,  of  Jackson,  to 
draw  up  the  plans  and  specifications  for  such  a  build- 
ing. We  gave  him  an  idea  of  what  we  wanted ;  and, 
after  several  months  of  waiting,  he  presented  a  sug- 

110 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

gestive  plan.  With  some  modifications,  this  plan 
was  accepted,  and  the  specifications  were  all  drawn 
and  accepted  by  the  building  committee  appointed 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  These  plans  called  for  a 
building  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  long  by 
seventy-six  feet  wide,  three  stories  high,  brick  with 
stone  trimmings,  and  a  flat  roof.  It  was  a  most 
beautiful  structure,  well  built,  having  large  assembly 
rooms,  study  halls,  recitation  and  lecture  rooms,  a 
library,  a  reading  room,  a  chapel,  laboratories,  and 
the  like.  This  building,  together  with  its  furnish- 
ings, cost  nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars.  It  was 
completed  in  1906. 

Rev.  T.  F.  Saunders  retired  from  the  presidency 
of  the  school  in  the  spring  of  1903  and  was  succeed- 
ed by  Rev.  J.  A.  Bray,  A.M.,  LL.D.  Rev.  Bray 
took  charge  November  17,  1903,  and  continued  until 
June,  1907.  The  fire  took  place  and  the  work  of 
reconstruction  began  during  the  years  of  his  admin- 
istration. 

Before  the  main  hall  had  been  paid  for,  work  on 
the  girls'  dormitory  was  begun.  The  campaign  for 
funds  was  on,  to  remain  until  the  old  buildings  were 
replaced  by  larger  and  more  modern  ones.  This 
hall  is  a  large,  well-constructed,  three-story  brick 
structure  with  stone  trimmings  and  a  metallic  roof, 
containing  the  kitchen,  laundry,  dining  hall,  recep- 
tion rooms,  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Associa- 
tion room,  and  dormitory  rooms  to  accommodate 
sixty-four  young  ladies.  This  building,  together 
8  113 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

with  a  large  heating  plant,  cost  about  twenty-one 
thousand  dollars.  In  order  to  accommodate  the 
grounds  with  reference  to  the  proper  location  of  the 
new  buildings,  some  of  the  old  buildings  had  to  be 
moved,  and  the  campus  then  took  on  a  new  form. 
The  President's  home  was  moved,  as  was  also  the 
Industrial  Hall,  and  thus  the  new  and  greater  Lane 
College  began  to  make  its  appearance. 

The  third  building  to  be  erected  was  the  boys' 
dormitory.  The  plans  and  specifications  for  this 
building  were  drawn  by  Mr.  Moses  McKissack,  of 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  called  for  a  three-story  brick 
structure,  containing  dormitory  rooms,  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  room,  reception  hall, 
workshop  for  the  boys,  and  a  suite  of  rooms  for  the 
preceptress.  This  building  was  constructed  by  Mr. 
William  Burrows,  a  contractor  and  builder  of  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.,  for  nineteen  thousand  six  hundred  and 
thirty-nine  and  one-half  dollars.  With  the  heating 
and  lighting  and  other  furnishings,  the  building  cost 
nearly  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  Toward  the 
erection  of  this  hall  the  General  Education  Board 
of  New  York  made  a  donation  of  seven  thousand 
dollars.    This  was  done  in  1912. 

The  college  has  been  working  for  the  uplift  of 
our  people  for  thirty-four  years;  and  the  results 
are  seen  not  so  much  in  the  valuation  of  the  property 
to  be  found  on  the  grounds,  but  its  greatest  work  is 
seen  in  the  men  and  women  who  have  been  trained 
within  its  walls — persons  whose  minds  and  hearts 

114 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

have  been  touched  and  inspired  with  the  spirit  of 
Christ,  who  while  on  earth  went  about  doing  good 
wherever  an  opportunity  presented  itself.  Up  to  the 
time  of  my  retirement  as  an  active  bishop  I  had 
raised  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for 
this  work.  The  buildings  may  not  stand,  the  repu- 
tation may  pass  from  among  men,  but  the  work  will 
remain  forever. 

117 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

My  Labor  as  a  Church  Expansionist — Work- 
ing in  the  Mission  Field. 

The  greater  part  of  my  life  as  a  bishop  has  been 
spent  in  the  mission  Conferences,  especially  in  the 
North  and  West.  Here  I  observed  our  people  mov- 
ing from  the  South  and  East  in  great  numbers,  and 
it  became  clear  to  me  that  unless  we  followed  them 
up  with  our  Church  organization  they  would  soon 
be  lost  to  the  connection.  The  changed  civic  and 
economic  conditions  in  the  South,  the  constant  agi- 
tation of  the  race  question  by  political  demagogues, 
the  lynchings,  and  other  unjust  treatment  accorded 
the  colored  people  are  responsible  for  the  manifest 
unrest  and  the  grim  determination  on  the  part  of  so 
many  members  of  our  race  to  migrate  to  the  North 
and  West,  where  a  change  for  the  better  with  respect 
to  some  of  these  conditions,  if  not  to  all  of  them, 
can  be  had. 

Among  the  many  mission  points  I  began  which 
have  grown  into  good,  self-supporting  charges  are 
the  following — viz. :  Lane  Tabernacle,  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  organized  in  1902  with  about  twenty-four 
members,  has  to-day  property  valued  at  more  than 
thirteen  thousand  dollars  and  a  membership  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  St.  Paul  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Chicago,  111.,  organized  about  ten 
years  ago,  now  has  Church  property  valued  at  twelve 

118 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

thousand'  five  hundred  dollars  and  a  membership  of 
five  hundred.  Lane  Chapel,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  organ- 
ized about  fifteen  years  ago,  now  has  Church  prop- 
erty valued  at  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  and  a 
membership  of  five  hundred.  Kansas  City  (Mo.) 
Station,  organized  about  sixteen  years  ago,  now  has 
Church  property  valued  at  ten  thousand  dollars  and 
a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  eighty.  Kansas 
City,  Kans.,  was  organized  about  eighteen  years 
ago  and  now  has  property  valued  at  ten  thousand 
dollars  and  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  eigh- 
ty-five. Lane  Chapel,  Topeka,  Kans.,  organized 
about  nineteen  years  ago,  has  Church  property  val- 
ued at  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  and  a  member- 
ship of  three  hundred.  Oklahoma  City,  Okla.,  was 
organized  about  fifteen  years  ago  and  now  has 
Church  property  valued  at  twelve  thousand  dollars 
and  a  membership  of  two  hundred.  Muskogee, 
Okla.,  was  organized  about  twelve  years  ago  and 
now  has  Church  property  valued  at  thirty  thousand 
dollars  and  a  membership  of  three  hundred.  Tulsa, 
Okla.,  was  organized  twelve  years  ago  and  now  has 
Church  property  worth  three  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars  and  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-five. Champaign,  111.,  was  organized  about  eight- 
een years  ago  and  now  has  property  worth  five  thou- 
sand dollars  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  mem- 
bers. East  St.  Louis,  111.,  was  organized  about 
twelve  years   ago  and   now  has   Church   property 

119 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

worth  three  thousand  dollars  and  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty  members. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  Churches  in 
mission  territory  that  were  organized  through  my 
personal  efforts  and  official  direction.  There  are 
many  smaller  and  less  conspicuous  appointments  that 
mean  equally  as  much  to  the  progress  of  the  Church 
and  the  saving  of  men  that  might  with  propriety  be 
mentioned.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  labored  unself- 
ishly, and,  on  the  whole,  God  blessed  my  labors. 

In  doing  this  work  for  our  Church  I  made  it  a 
point  to  keep  in  sympathetic  touch  with  our  friends, 
and  especially  those  who  were  able  to  give  assistance. 
On  Monday  mornings,  where  there  were  such  meet- 
ings, I  would  visit  the  Ministerial  Alliance  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  and  would  talk 
with  them  and  pray  for  them.  I  did  not  hesitate 
to  make  known  our  needs  and  our  desires.  Occa- 
sionally they  would  give  a  helpful  suggestion  or 
encourage  me  in  a  more  substantial  way.  In  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  where  I  have  a  host  of  friends  among 
both  white  and  colored  people,  Mr.  Richard  Scruggs 
(white)  became  so  much  impressed  with  the  impor- 
tance and  necessity  of  our  work  in  that  great  and 
rapidly  growing  city  that  he  gave  five  thousand  sev- 
en hundred  dollars  to  our  Church.  This  is  the  larg- 
est gift  ever  made  to  a  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge.  In  other 
places  we  solicited  smaller  sums.  While  in  them- 
selves these  contributions  were  not  great,  they  were 

1 20 


_/__    '   '/       LAKE.    'llABEBMictE 


-i-\B^l  .koc^  If, 


LANE  TABERNACLE,   ST.   LOUIS,   MO. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

sufficient  to  give  our  members  encouragement  and 
served  the  very  great  purpose  of  an  incentive  for 
them  to  do  their  very  best. 

This  kind  of  constructive  work  in  mission  fields 
has  been  so  attractive  to  me  sometimes  that  I  feel  I 
was  called  especially  to  do  it.  If  one  would  stop 
and  think  long  enough,  he  would  see  that  from 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  on  the  east,  to  Muskogee,  Okla.,  on 
the  west,  our  strongest  appointments  were  begun 
under  my  administration. 

I  have  not  spoken  of  my  work  accomplished  in 
the  South,  as  this  is  well  known  by  the  Church  at 
large.  In  the  North  and  West  it  was  freely  predict- 
ed that  these  organizations  would  be  a  great  burden 
upon  the  general  Church.  But  I  did  not  see  it  that 
way.  I  asked  the  general  Church  for  some  financial 
assistance  at  certain  strategic  points,  and  it  gave 
some  little  help.  Time  has  vindicated  all  the  claims 
I  made  for  this  work ;  and  instead  of  being  a  burden 
to  the  general  Church,  they  are  a  great  help  in  that 
they  give  their  support  to  all  the  general  interests  of 
the  Church  and  contribute  their  share  in  the  support 
of  all  its  work. 

The  great  Northwest  is  a  wealthy  section  of  our 
country  and  one  that  ha^  hardly  been  touched  by 
our  Church.  It  presents  a  splendid  field  of  rare 
opportunities  to  us.  The  foundation  has  already 
been  laid,  and  my  successors  can  go  forward  with 
the  construction  in  keeping  with  their  increased 
strength  and  enlarged  opportunities. 

123 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Church  Activities  in  Recent  Years. 

The  past  ten  years  have  been  marked  by  many 
activities  within  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  America.  For  the  most  part,  these  move- 
ments have  been  wide  in  their  scope  and  helpful  in 
their  results.  The  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  is  seen,  perhaps,  at  its  best  in  its  educational 
work  and  activity.  During  the  period  of  time  under 
our  survey  just  now  Lane  College,  at  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  Paine  College,  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  have 
doubled  their  holdings,  their  plants  to-day  being 
valued  at  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
each.  Phillips  College,  at  Tyler,  Tex.,  has  virtually 
been  reestablished  and  is  now,  in  point  of  facilities 
and  scope  of  work,  far  in  advance  of  what  it  was 
prior  to  this  period.  The  same  is  true  of  Miles 
Memorial  College,  at  Birmingham,  Ala.,  and  the 
Homer  Industrial  College,  at  Homer,  La.  This 
period  embraces  the  time  of  the  founding  and  estab- 
lishing of  the  Mississippi  Industrial  College,  at  Holly 
Springs,  Miss.,  and  the  Arkansas  Industrial  College, 
at  Pine  Bluff,  Ark.,  both  of  which  from  their  very 
organization  have  had  remarkable  growth. 

Be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  all  of  those  who  have 
been  interested  in  this  work  that  the  sacrifices  made 
by  our  people  in  establishing  these  schools  have 
called  forth  the  applause  and  words  of  commenda- 

124 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

tion  of  the  friends  of  Christian  education  the  coun- 
try over,  and  their  success  has  done  much  toward 
establishing  the  confidence  our  people  have  in  them- 
selves and  their  ability  to  provide  in  a  way  for  their 
own  educational  advancement.  A  friendly  rivalry 
between  the  patronizing  bishops  and  Conferences 
fostering  the  various  educational  institutions  has 
helped  in  the  raising  of  large  sums  of  money  for 
this  very  worthy  cause. 

In  1910  the  General  Conference  of  our  Church 
convened  in  Augusta,  Ga.  This  Conference  was 
largely  attended.  As  usual,  the  greatest  interest 
was  centered  in  the  election  of  the  bishops  and  gen- 
eral officers.  Contrary  to  our  custom  and  all  prec- 
edents, some  ambitious  men  resorted  to  political 
methods  to  promote  their  friends  and  measures.  I 
do  not  mean  to  say  that  all  of  the  previous  General 
Conferences  had  been  free  from  political  trickery. 
Such  could  not  be  successfully  maintained.  But  I 
do  assert  that  never  before  was  there  so  much  bold- 
ness and  affrontery  as  was  displayed  at  this  Confer- 
ence in  such  methods  and  actions.  As  a  natural  re- 
sult, some  of  the  brethren  became  distrustful  of  the 
others  and  at  every  point  showed  their  distrust  by 
being  ready  to  impugn  their  motives  and  call  into 
question  their  integrity  and  honor.  This  was  very 
unfortunate  and  greatly  embarrassed  the  Church 
and  its  work  during  the  quadrennium. 

Despite  all  of  these  unfavorable  conditions,  this 
Conference  did  some  very  good  work.     The  Disci- 

127 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

pline  of  the  Church  was  revised;  the  ministerial 
course  of  study  was  enriched  and  otherwise  im- 
proved upon ;  an  appellate  court  for  the  trial  of  min- 
isters was  created ;  and  a  more  friendly  relation  to- 
ward all  other  evangelical  Churches,  especially  those 
of  the  Methodist  persuasion,  was  strengthened  and 
established.  In  a  hotly  contested  election  the  Rev. 
M.  F.  Jamison,  D.D.,  of  Texas,  and  the  Rev.  George 
W.  Stewart,  D.D.,  of  Alabama,  were  elected  to  the 
office  of  bishop.  These  brethren  had  served  the 
Church  in  various  capacities  and  were  promoted  in 
recognition  of  their  services  to  the  Church. 

At  this  writing  (1916)  Bishop  M.  F.  Jamison, 
D.D.,  presides  over  the  Fifth  Episcopal  District, 
where  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  both  laymen  and 
ministers.  Bishop  George  W.  Stewart,  D.D.,  served 
the  Church  as  bishop  only  two  years,  when  he  be- 
came entangled  with  some  money  matters  in  Ala- 
bama which  resulted  in  his  being  retired  without 
salary  by  the  General  Conference  that  met  in  St. 
Louis  in  1914.  During  the  very  next  year  (1915) 
the  Bishop  died,  leaving  a  wife  and  several  children 
and  the  Church  at  large  to  mourn  his  death. 

The  General  Conference  of  19 10  elected  the  Rev. 
A.  J.  Cobb,  A.B.,  D.D.,  of  Georgia,  to  the  office  of 
editor  of  the  Christian  Index.  During  the  quad- 
rennium  following  this  Conference,  when  there  were 
so  many  divisions  and  so  much  confusion  and  dis- 
satisfaction in  the  Church,  Editor  Cobb  displayed 
many  excellent  traits  of  a  rounded  Christian  charac- 

128 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

ter.  His  editorial  policy  was  of  a  conciliatory  na- 
ture, and  he  left  the  office  in  19 14  with  the  full  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  the  Church  at  large.  Dr. 
Cobb  took  seriously  ill  in  19 15  and  died  at  his  home, 
in  Barnesville,  Ga.,  surrounded  by  a.  host  of  admir- 
ing friends.  He  is  survived  by  Mrs.  Helena  B. 
Cobb,  the  efficient  Principal  of  the  H.  B.  Cobb  Fe- 
male Institute,  the  only  school  of  its  kind  fostered 
by  our  Methodism.  It  is  located  in  Barnesville,  Ga. 
The  quadrennium  following  the  General  Confer- 
ence of  1910  was  marked  by  the  passing  into  the 
great  beyond  of  a  good  many  of  the  most  prominent 
of  our  Churchmen.  Among  these  were  Rev.  G.  F. 
Welch,  of  Alabama,  Rev.  W.  B.  West,  D.D.,  of 
Texas,  Rev.  J.  H.  Coley,  D.D.,  of  Alabama,  Rev. 
Ralston,  of  Louisiana,  Rev.  V.  Washington,  of 
Alabama,  and  Rev.  R.  O.  Williams,  of  Louisiana. 
These  brethren  were  closely  followed  by  Bishop 
George  W.  Stewart,  Rev.  Henry  Bullock,  Dr.  A.  J. 
Cobb,  Rev.  J.  B.  Washington,  Rev.  I.  S.  Person, 
D.D.,  Rev.  J.  W.  Smith,  A.M.,  and  two  prominent 
laymen,  Mr.  L.  F.  Few,  of  Oklahoma,  and  Mr.  J. 
B.  Meadows,  of  Memphis,  Tenn. 

"Servant  of  God,  well  done ! 
Thy  glorious  warfare's  past ; 
The  battle's  fought,  the  race  is  won, 
And  thou  art  crowned  at  last." 
9  129 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Thirteenth  General  Conference  of  the 

Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

in  America. 

The  thirteenth  General  Conference  of  the  Col- 
ored Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America  con- 
vened in  Lane  Tabernacle,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  May, 
19 14.  At  the  very  opening  of  the  session  all  of  the 
bishops  were  present,  and  a  full  set  of  the  delegates 
were  in  their  seats  ready  to  answer  to  the  roll  call. 
This  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Colored 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America  that  a  Gen- 
eral Conference  convened  in  a  city  north  of  the 
Mason  and  Dixon  line. 

The  following  work  was  done  during  the  two  and 
one-half  weeks'  session:  The  Department  of  Minis- 
terial Relief  and  Support  and  the  Department  of 
Education  were  created.  A  financial  budget  for  the 
quadrennium  was  made,  and  the  amount  of  money 
required  each  year  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  gen- 
eral Church  (seventy-five  thousand  dollars)  was 
placed  as  an  assessment  on  the  Church  at  large  and 
then  prorated  to  the  various  Annual  Conferences  to 
be  raised.  The  salary  of  the  bishops  was  increased 
from  two  thousand  dollars  to  two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  so  as  to  relieve  them 
of  all  embarrassment  as  to  their  railroad  expenses 
in  traveling  over  their  dioceses.    At  my  own  request, 

130 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  General  Conference  gave  me  a  retired  relation; 
and,  according  to  the  provisions  already  made  for 
their  retired  bishops,  six  hundred  dollars  was  set 
aside  as  a  yearly  stipend  for  my  support.  The  Con- 
ference went  on  record  as  favoring  many  reforms 
in  the  Church.  Some  were  necessary,  while  others 
were  not  altogether  out  of  place. 

The  Church  had  been  greatly  embarrassed  because 
of  charges  of  misapplication  of  Church  funds  on  the 
part  of  Bishop  George  W.  Stewart,  D.D.,  and  the 
Rev.  Henry  Bullock,  D.D.,  the  Book  Agent,  who 
had  resigned  his  office  during  the  quadrennium. 
There  were  charges  also  of  unbecoming  conduct  on 
the  part  of  Bishop  Elias  Cottrell,  D.D.  These 
charges  and  rumors  caused  a  cloud  to  hang  over  the 
skies  of  Church  people  which  did  not  pass  away  by 
a  vote  of  the  brethren  or  by  impassioned  appeals 
made  by  interested  persons  who  discussed  the  mat- 
ter. Bishop  Cottrell  was  given  a  vote  of  confidence 
on  the  part  of  the  Conference  in  that  his  character 
was  passed,  and  he  was  continued  as  one  of  the  bish- 
ops of  the  Church.  As  has  already  been  stated, 
Bishop  Stewart  was  retired  without  salary ;  and  the 
Rev.  Henry  Bullock,  D.D.,  was  allowed  to  adjust  his 
alleged  shortage  in  whatever  way  he  could. 

Amid  all  of  these  things  there  was  the  usual  in- 
terest manifested  in  the  election  of  the  bishops  and 
other  general  officers.  My  retirement  was  the  strong 
argument  advanced  by  those  in  favor  of  an  increase 
in  the  number  of  bishops,  and  it  became  clear  that 

131 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  Conference  would  elect  two  or  more  bishops  at 
this  Conference.  There  were  an  unusually  large 
number  of  aspirants  in  the  field,  and  they  were  not 
slow  in  making  it  known  that  they  had  an  ambition 
to  serve  the  Church  in  that  capacity.  I  hope  the 
time  is  not  far  off  when  the  Church  will  consider 
any  man  unworthy  who  will  urge  his  election  to  the 
office  of  a  bishop  or  seek  to  organize  his  friends 
with  that  in  view.  Be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  this 
Conference  that  there  was  but  little,  if  any,  wire- 
pulling on  the  part  of  "friends"  seeking  promotion. 
We  want  to  see  less  and  less  until  there  will  not  be 
observed  any  semblance  of  such  in  the  Church  of  the 
living  God. 

There  was  no  election  for  bishop  on  the  first  bal- 
lot. On  the  second  ballot  the  Rev.  R.  A.  Carter, 
A.M.,  D.D.,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  the  Rev.  Nelson 
C.  Cleaves,  D.D.,  of  Columbia,  S.  C,  each  having 
received  the  votes  of  a  majority  of  the  delegates, 
were  declared  bishops  elect  of  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America.  These  young  men 
represent  the  product  of  our  own  schools;  and  be- 
cause of  their  training  and  wide  acquaintance  with 
the  Church,  its  history  and  polity,  they  should  be 
able  to  serve  the  Church  and  race  in  a  large  and  most 
effective  manner. 

Having  accomplished  much  valuable  legislation  in 
behalf  of  the  Church,  the  General  Conference  ad- 
journed, and  the  work  of  the  Conference  became  a 
matter  of  history. 

132 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
Death  of  Mrs.  Frances  A.  Lane. 

[From  the  Christian  Index.] 

Sister  Frances  A.  Lane,  wife  of  Bishop  Isaac 
Lane,  was  born  in  Haywood  County,  Tenn.,  Octo- 
ber 1 6,  1834,  and  died  May  11,  1895,  at  8:45  a.m., 
aged  sixty  years,  six  months,  and  twenty-five  days. 
The  deceased  was  married  to  Bishop  Isaac  Lane 
December  24,  1853,  and  lived  in  holy  wedlock  forty- 
one  years,  four  months,  and  seventeen  days.  There 
were  born  to  them  during  these  years  of  devoted 
companionship  twelve  children,  five  of  whom  were 
sons  and  seven  daughters.  Sister  Lane  enlisted  in 
the  cause  of  Christ  at  a  prayer  meeting  in  the  fall 
of  1864  and  joined  the  Methodist  Church  at  Salem. 
She  transferred  her  membership  to  Liberty  Church, 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  in  1868,  where  for  twenty-seven 
years  she  lived  a  faithful  member  and  a  consistent 
Christian. 

As  a  wife  she  was  devoted  and  affable,  contrib- 
uting largely  to  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  her 
husband,  sharing  his  sorrows  and  burdens,  and  was 
a  factor  in  all  the  accomplishments  of  him  who 
mourns  his  loss. 

As  a  mother  she  was  gentle,  kind,  and  affection- 
ate, imparting  that  instruction,  by  precept  and  ex- 
ample, which  is  embodied  in  the  words  of  Solomon: 
"Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go."     Her 

133 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

gentle  and  loving  hand,  like  a  magic  wand,  has  led 
a  large  family  through  the  meandering  of  childhood 
into  manhood  and  womanhood  and  bequeathed  to 
them  the  legacy  of  noble  sentiments  and  lofty  aspi- 
rations. 

As  a  Christian  she  was  meek,  yet  persistent; 
quiet,  but  firm;  steady,  but  true.  In  her  was  the 
combination  of  those  qualities  which  made  her  life 
"shine  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day." 
Steady,  firm,  and  true  to  the  end,  it  may  be  said 
of  her  that  she  kept  the  faith,  finished  her  course, 
and  is  now  in  that  land  of  Beulah,  joined  with  her 
loved  ones,  where  the  wicked  shall  cease  to  trouble 
and  the  weary  are  at  rest. 

Your  Wife  Is  in  Heaven;  We'll  Meet  Her  Again. 

(A  Poem  Dedicated  to  Bishop  Isaac  Lane.) 
BY  SOLOMON  G.  BROWN. 

Dear  Friend :  Sad  news  comes  here  to-day 
That  God  has  called  your  wife  away; 
For  forty  years  she's  been  your  bride, 
But  now  she's  taken  from  your  side. 

None  more  than  you  can  feel  her  loss ; 
None  know  but  you  what  it  has  cost. 
By  words  you  can't  describe  your  pain, 
And  feel  you'll  ne'er  get  right  again. 

You'll  meet  her  when  this  life  is  o'er, 
Then  you  will  meet  to  part  no  more ; 
You'll  meet  your  wife  in  heaven  above, 
Where  all  is  joy  and  peace  and  love. 

134 


MR?.    FRANCES   ANN    BOYCE   LANE. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

You'll  meet  her  at  the  throne  of  God ; 
She'll  introduce  you  to  the  Lord ; 
She'll  meet  you  at  the  pearly  gate 
And  all  her  heavenly  joys  relate. 

The  cutting  pain  has  reached  your  heart 
Because  your  wife  from  you  did  part; 
So  long  you've  traveled  through  this  life 
As  lovers,  husband,  father,  wife. 

We  mourn  with  you  and  share  your  grief ; 
Could  we  but  offer  sure  relief ! 
Just  how  you  feel  no  one  can  tell 
But  Christ,  who  doeth  all  things  well. 

He  saw  it  best  that  she  should  go 
And  leave  this  world  of  pain  and  woe ; 
And  when  she  bowed  to  him  in  prayer 
He  came  from  heaven  and  met  her  there. 

Just  when  she  started  from  her  knee 
He  softly  said,  "Rise,  follow  me" ; 
Heard  her  prayer  and  deemed  it  best 
That  he  should  call  her  home  to  rest. 

While  down  at  prayer  she  heard  the  call ; 
She  quickly  rose,  was  seen  to  fall ; 
Her  body  struggled  for  its  breath 
Till  finally  o'ercome  by  death. 

On  her  he  laid  his  hands  of  ice, 
Her  soul  steals  out  and  goes  with  Christ ; 
Forever  there  her  soul  will  stay, 
Where  there's  but  one  eternal  day. 

137 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

That  dreadful  news  soon  spread  around, 
That  Bishop  Lane's  dear  wife  had  gone ; 
This  news  a  sad  impression  made 
On  all  who  learned  their  friend  was  dead. 

Her  friends  stood  grieving  o'er  her  form, 
From  which  a  precious  soul  had  gone — 
Gone  where?    Can  any  mortal  say? 
And  is  that  soul  at  rest  to-day? 

At  rest !    O  yes,  as  Jesus  lives, 
A  full  assurance  she  would  give. 
While  death  relieves  her  from  all  pain, 
She's  dead,  but  rose  to  life  again 

To-day  she  wears  the  heavenly  palm, 
Free  from  all  the  tempter's  harm, 
Falls  prostrate  at  the  feet  of  God, 
Where  she  receives  her  great  reward. 

Her  joys  are  full,  her  griefs  are  o'er; 
She  meets  with  thousands  gone  before — 
Relatives,  kindred,  neighbors,  friends — 
Whose  union  there  will  never  end. 

She's  given  up  all  cares  of  life 

And  all  her  duties  as  a  wife; 

She  freely  parts  with  all  she  owns 

To  take  her  place  around  God's  throne. 

You've  lost  a  loving,  faithful  wife, 
Who's  been  your  bosom  friend  through  life; 
She  loved  you  dear,  but  when  God  called 
She  followed  him  and  gave  up  all. 

138 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

To  God's  will  we  all  must  bow ; 
'Tis  hard,  but  Christ  will  teach  us  how. 
We  know  our  loss  is  her  great  gain ; 
She's  free  from  strife,  released  from  pain. 

Look  on  her  form ;  look,  friends,  and  weep — 

So  calm,  so  peaceful,  fast  asleep. 

Will  any  mortal  dare  profane 

Or  say  one  word  against  God's  name? 

Who  gave  her  life?    Wlio  takes  away? 
Who  fixed  the  limits  of  her  stay? 
If  she  has  made  her  peace  with  God, 
She  goes  to  meet  that  great  reward. 

This  is  God's  plan.     O  brother,  yield 
While  you  her  loss  so  deeply  feel ; 
Give  her  to  Christ,  where  she  belongs ; 
Prepare  to  join  the  heavenly  throng. 

Soon  you  shall  meet  in  realms  above, 
And  join  her  in  that  perfect  love, 
Where  you'll  be  truly  one  in  heart, 
From  each  and  Christ  will  never  part. 

Sleep  sound,  dear  one,  so  free  from  stain ; 
Sleep  in  the  tomb  where  Christ  was  lain ; 
Sleep  there  in  peace  till  that  great  day 
When  all  will  rise  and  come  away. 

Farewell,  dear  wife ;  we'll  meet  no  more 
Till  I  come  down  to  Jordan's  shore. 
For  this  shall  be  my  earnest  prayer, 
That  you,  with  Christ,  shall  meet  me  there. 
Washington,  P.  C. 

139        . 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

She  was  affectionately  kind  to  all  of  her  husband's 
friends,  and  especially  to  preachers.  As  a  hostess 
she  found  great  pleasure  in  providing  for  their 
comfort.  She  had  the  highest  regard  for  Bishops 
William  Henry  Miles,  J.  A.  Beebe,  and  L.  H.  Hol- 
sey,  and  Bishops  Williams  and.Cottrell  were  win- 
ning her  affections.  She  entertained  Bishop  Henry 
M.  Turner  one  week  in  her  home,  which  visit  he 
mentioned  quite  frequently  in  his  public  addresses. 
As  a  husband,  I  have  lost  a  true,  affectionate  wife, 
a  great  and  good  woman.  As  a  mother,  my  chil- 
dren have  lost  a  kind  and  loving  one.  She  strove 
earnestly,  both  by  precept  and  example,  to  rear  her 
children  right.  But  she  is  gone,  to  come  to  us  no 
more.  Her  place  in  our  home  circle  is  vacant.  Our 
loss  is  irreparable. 

Below  is  a  select  sentiment  of  sympathy  from  a 
few  of  the  letters  and  telegrams  from  our  many 
friends: 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Bishop  Lane:  Your  telegram  of  the  death  of 
your  dear  wife  brought  sorrow  to  our  hearts  and 
sadness  to  our  home.  It  was  the  mysterious  provi- 
dence of  God  in  taking  her  so  suddenly  from  you. 
You  have  my  prayers.  May  God  bless  you  and 
family !  Bishop  R.  S.  Williams. 

Washington,  N.  C. 
I  am  surprised  to  hear  of  the  sudden  death  of 
your  dear  wife,  Sister  Lane.    You  and  family  have 
my  sympathy  and  prayers.     God  bless  you  and  sus- 
tain you !  Bishop  J.  A.  Beebe. 

140 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Charleston,  S.  C. 
Bishop  Lane:  I  am  in  great  sympathy  with  you  in 
the  loss  of  your  dear  wife.    God  bless  you ! 

Bishop  M.  B.  Salter. 

Augusta,  Ga. 
Yours  just  received.  I  am  perfectly  and  pro- 
foundly shocked  to  receive  the  sad  intelligence  of 
the  death  of  your  dear  wife.  Little  did  I  think  that 
I  was  taking  the  last  look  at  her  pleasant  face  and 
smiling  countenance  just  five  days  ago.  God  bless 
you!  Bishop  L.  H.  Holsey. 

Holly  Springs,  Miss. 
Dear  Bishop  Lane:  I  am  sad  to  hear  of  the  death 
of  your  dear  wife.     God  bless  and  support  you  in 
this  your  sore  affliction!        Bishop  E.  Cottrell. 

Louisville,  Ky. 
You  have  my  sympathy  in  your  great  bereave- 
ment.   Prepare  to  meet  your  dear  wife  on  the  shores 
of  sweet  deliverance. 

Dr.  David  Morton,  Sec.  Church  Ex.  Dept. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  a  few  of  our 
friends  who  have  sent  us  letters  of  sympathy  which 
we  take  this  opportunity  of  acknowledging:  Rev.  O. 
T.  Womack  and  wife,  Longview,  Tex.;  Hon.  Ed- 
mund Geary,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Rev.  R.  T.  Lewis, 
Denton,  Tex. ;  Rev.  W.  S.  Battle,  Northport,  Ala. ; 
Rev.  A.  J.  Harrington,  Prescott,  Ark. ;  Rev.  W.  E. 
Stewart,  Frankfort,  Kans. ;  Rev.  J.  T.  Clay,  Center- 
ville,  Miss. ;  Hon.  W.  P.  Churchill,  Louisville,  Kv. ; 
Rev.  M.  Walton,  Sardis,  Miss. ;  Rev.  P.  A.  Sowell, 
Clarksville,  Tenn. ;  Rev.  W.  A.  Jackson,  Covington, 
Ky. ;  Rev.  J.  M.  Porter,  Rutherford,  Tenn. ;  Rev. 

141 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

J.  F.  Fitzpatrick,  Smith  Station,  Ala. ;  Prof.  D.  W. 
Byrd,  Central  Tennessee  College,  Nashville,  Tenn. ; 
Rev.  E.  Wills,  Memphis,  Tenn.;  Rev.  A.  K.  Haw- 
kins, Jackson,  Miss. ;  Rev.  J.  H.  Bell,  Trenton, 
Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Oscar  S.  Ridley,  Memphis,  Tenn. ; 
Prof.  M.  W.  Dogan,  Central  Tennessee  College, 
Nashville,  Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Susie  Payne,  Louisville,  Ky. ; 
Mrs.  H.  E.  Hamilton,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Mrs.  F. 
P.  Moseley,  Newbern,  Tenn. ;  Miss  S.  A.  C.  Harper, 
Chattanooga,  Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Miami  Davis,  Washing- 
ton, Ark. ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  G.  Murray,  Meridian, 
Miss. ;  Mrs.  S.  E.  Watkins,  Jackson,  Tenn. ;  Miss 
E.  M.  Carter,  Shreveport,  La.;  Miss  Mollie  Mc- 
Williams,  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  Mr.  J.  A.  Wilson,  Ashe- 
ville,  N.  C. ;  Mrs.  Lizzie  Clairborne,  Brownsville, 
Tenn. ;  Miss  S.  B.  Nichols,  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  Mrs. 
N.  J.  Curry,  Washington,  Ark.;  Mr.  J.  L.  Bayliss, 
Dresden,  Tenn. ;  Miss  Addie  Melton,  Knoxville, 
Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Smith,  Marshall,  Tex. ;  and  a 
host  of  others,  besides  the  Christian  Index,  the  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  the  Tennessee  Methodist,  the  Jack- 
son Whig,  pastor  and  members  of  Capers  Chapel, 
and  pastor  and  members  of  Lane  Tabernacle.  All 
have  spoken  words  of  sympathy  and  consolation  in 
this  hour  of  our  sore  affliction.  We  hereby  ac- 
knowledge our  friends'  notice  of  us. 

Isaac  Lane  and  Family. 
142 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Bishops  of  the 

Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

in  America. 

Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  William  Henry  Miles. 

Bishop  William  Henry  Miles,  the  first  bishop 
of  our  beloved  Methodism,  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America,  was  born  in  Spring- 
field, Washington  County,  Ky.,  December  26,  1828, 
and  died  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  November  14,  1892, 
aged  sixty-three  years,  ten  months,  and  eighteen 
days.  In  1859  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  E. 
Arnold,  of  Lebanon,  Ky.,  with  whom  he  lived  to  the 
day  of  his  death.  Eight  children  blessed  their  union. 
He  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
in  1855  on  probation  and  was  happily  converted  in 
October  of  that  year.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  in 
1857  and  was  ordained  deacon  in  1859  by  Bishop 
Andrew,  of  that  Church.  His  term  of  service  as 
pastor  or  presiding  elder  was  short,  the  first  General 
Conference  electing  him  bishop  in  1870.  He  served 
as  senior  bishop  of  his  Church  for  twenty-two  years. 
During  all  of  these  years  he  was  recognized  as  a  man 
of  great  influence  and  power.  To  write  of  his  life 
and  activities  during  these  years  would  mean  a  his- 
tory of  the  Church  during  that  same  period  of  time. 
His  life  and  activities  were  so  connected  with  those 

143 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

of  his  Church  that  the  one  cannot  be  recorded  with- 
out writing  of  the  other.  Bishop  Miles  was  a  mag- 
netic preacher.  Great  crowds  would  come  from  far 
and  near  to  hear  this  great  gospel  preacher.  He 
would  travel,  lecture,  and  preach,  carrying  books, 
pamphlets,  and  tracts  of  all  kinds,  which  he  would 
sell  or  give  away  in  order  to  acquaint  the  people  with 
the  work  of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  thus  establish  it  as  an  organization  among  the 
people  of  this  country.  He  was  a  matchless  orator. 
His  thoughts  were  ponderous,  his  manner  of  deliv- 
ery was  attractive,  and  his  discourses  teemed  with 
great  spiritual  power.  I  remember  the  first  sermon 
I  heard  him  preach.  He  took  for  his  text  the 
twenty-second  verse  of  the  fourteenth  chapter  of 
the  Acts,  which  reads  as  follows:  "Confirming  the 
souls  of  the  disciples,  and  exhorting  them  to  con- 
tinue in  the  faith,  and  that  we  must  through  much 
tribulation  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  After 
giving  historical  data  covering  much  of  the  experi- 
ences of  the  disciples,  he  then  told  of  the  afflictions 
and  suffering  they  had  to  endure  in  order  to  bring 
the  truth  of  the  gospel  to  light.  He  pointed  out  the 
many  things  we  had  to  endure  in  this  life  to  enter 
the  kingdom  of  grace  and  then  the  heavenly  king- 
dom. He  spoke  with  much  feeling  as  to  how  we 
suffered  in  order  that  the  truth  of  our  Church  might 
be  brought  to  light.  His  argument  was  a  forcible 
one.  Having  a  strong  personality,  a  rich  flow  of 
language,  and  a  general  acquaintance  with  men  and 

144 


T.ISHOP    \V.    H.    MILES. 


10 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  affairs  of  this  life,  he  was  able  to  sway  his  audi- 
ences regardless  of  classes.  He  had  a  message  for 
them  all.  As  a  parliamentarian  and  organizer 
Bishop  Miles  had  no  superior  and  but  few  equals. 
After  his  death  I  collected  funds  with  which  to  erect 
a  suitable  monument  to  mark  the  last  resting  place 
of  all  that  was  mortal  of  this  prince  of  Israel.  His 
remains  were  deposited  in  the  Cave  Hill  Cemetery, 
in  Louisville,  Ky. ;  and  I  never  consider  my  visit  to 
that  city  complete  without  going  out  and  paying  a 
tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  a  man  who  was 
to  our  Church  what  Asbury  was  to  the  Methodist 
Church  of  this  country,  Allen  to  the  African  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  Varick  to  the  African 
Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church. 

Bishop  Richard  H.  Vanderhorst. 

Bishop  Richard  H.  Vanderhorst,  the  second  bish- 
op of  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 
America,  was  born  at  Georgetown,  S.  C,  December 
15,  18 1 3,  and  died  in  July,  1872.  While  a  young 
man  he  served  an  apprenticeship  under  one  Samuel 
Dunmore  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  He 
moved  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  1835  and  joined 
Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  was 
at  once  made  a  class  leader.  Later  on  he  joined 
Bethel  Church,  where  he  continued  to  exercise  those 
gifts  that  were  to  make  him  a  leader  of  men  in  the 
future.  He  served  as  class  leader  until  he  was  given 
a  license  to  preach.     It  will  be  recalled  that  during 

147 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

the  days  of  slavery  it  was  contrary  to  the  State  laws 
and  the  Discipline  of  the  Southern  Methodist  Church 
for  quite  a  long  while  to  grant  to  Negroes  a  license 
to  preach.  As  soon  as  he  was  given  a  license  to 
exhort  and  then  to  preach  he  took  high  rank  as 
a  preacher.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  first  General 
Conference,  which  convened  at  Jackson,  Tenn.,  when 
the  Church  was  organized  as  a  separate  and  inde- 
pendent body.  This  was  in  1870,  at  which  time  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  bishop.  He  served  the 
Church  only  eighteen  months  as  a  bishop,  and  then 
he  laid  aside  the  cross  and  took  up  the  crown  that  is 
prepared  for  the  faithful.  Bishop  Vanderhorst  may 
never  be  regarded  as  an  executive,  parliamentarian, 
or  organizer  on  the  order  of  Bishop  Miles ;  but  as 
a  gospel  preacher  and  as  an  evangelist  he  had  no 
superior.  Eloquent  and  logical,  his  sermons  would 
stir  the  hearts  of  men.  Although  short  as  to  time, 
his  services  were  very  valuable  to  the  Church.  As 
long  as  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
lives  the  name  of  Bishop  Richard  H.  Vanderhorst 
will  be  remembered,  loved,  and  revered. 

Bishop  Joseph  A.  Beebc. 

The  third  man  to  be  ordained  to  the  office  of 
bishop  in  the  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  America  was  Joseph  A.  Beebe,  of  North  Carolina. 
He  was  born  June  25,  1832,  and  died  in  Washing- 
ton, N.  C,  June  6,  1902.  His  ancestors  were  noted 
for  their  long  lives  and  for  the  number  of  ministers 

148 


BISHOP  J.    A.   BEEBE. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

who  were  connected  with  their  family.  However, 
the  Bishop  lived  to  reach  not  quite  seventy  years  of 
age.  He  began  a  term  of  apprenticeship  as  a  shoe- 
maker at  seventeen  years  of  age  and  followed  the 
trade  some  years  afterwards.  He  was  happily  con- 
verted in  185 1  and  was  married  to  Miss  Cornelia 
Bookrum  in  1858.  He  was  ordained  deacon  in  1865 
and  elder  in  1866.  Having  joined  the  Colored 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America  in  1871,  he 
was  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Washington 
(N.  C. )  District,  which  position  he  served  for  two 
consecutive  years.  In  1873,  at  a  called  session  of 
the  General  Conference,  he  was  elected  bishop  in 
Augusta,  Ga.,  during  the  month  of  March.  He  was 
senior  bishop  from  the  time  of  the  death  of  Bishop 
Miles,  in  1892,  to  the  time  of  his  own  death,  in  June, 
1902.  I  made  an  appeal  to  the  Church  at  large  for 
funds  with  which  to  erect  over  his  grave  a  suitable 
monument.  I  collected  enough  for  this  purpose ;  and 
the  last  resting  place  of  Bishop  Joseph  A.  Beebe  is 
marked  by  a  stone  which  in  a  feeble  way  expresses 
the  love  and  appreciation  of  a  grateful  Church  for 
the  years  of  faithful  services  rendered  by  this  great 
and  noble  man.  Bishop  Beebe  was  a  man  of  some 
education.  His  language  was  choice,  his  diction 
pure,  and  his  thoughts  were  always  systematic  and 
orderly.  Neat  in  his  appearance,  his  was  an  attrac- 
tive personality.  He  reared  a  family  of  useful  chil- 
dren and  was  regarded  as  an  affectionate  father  and 
a  devoted  husband.    At  his  funeral  many  beautiful 

151 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

tributes  were  paid  this  great  and  good  man  by  both 
white  and  black  who  had  known  and  loved  him  for 
many  years. 

Bishop  Lucius  H.  Holscy,  D.D. 

Bishop  Lucius  H.  Holsey  was  born  in  Columbus, 
Ga.,  July  3,  1842.  He  lived  on  the  farm  three  years, 
during  which  time  he  was  a  pupil  under  Bishop 
George  F.  Pierce,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South.  He  was  converted  at  an  early  age 
and  joined  the  Methodist  Church.  He  was  soon 
thereafter  called  to  the  ministry,  and  in  1868  he  was 
licensed  to  preach.  He  served  only  three  appoint- 
ments as  pastor.  These  appointments  were  the 
Hancock  Circuit,  Savannah  Station,  and  Trinity,  in 
Augusta,  Ga.  He  was  a  delegate  to  our  first  Gen- 
eral Conference,  which  convened  at  Jackson,  Tenn., 
and  served  as  teller  in  the  election  of  Bishops  W.  H. 
Miles  and  Richard  H.  Vanderhorst.  In  1873  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  bishop  at  the  General  Confer- 
ence that  convened  in  Trinity  Church,  in  Augusta, 
Ga.  Fie  was  a  delegate  to  the  first  Ecumenical 
Methodist  Conference,  which  met  in  London,  Eng- 
land. In  1882  he  was  our  fraternal  delegate  to  the 
General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  where  he  ably  represented  the 
Church  and  race.  In  1904  he  was  an  honored  dele- 
gate to  the  Sociological  Congress  that  met  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  on  many  other  important  occa- 
sions he  has  served  the  race  and  his  Church  in  a 

i52 


BISHOP  L.   A.   HOLSEV    D.D. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

large  and  effectual  way.  Bishop  Holsey  was  the 
prime  factor  in  the  founding  and  establishing  of 
Paine  College,  an  institution  of  learning  located  in 
Augusta,  Ga.  He  traveled  extensively  for  this  work 
and  raised  a  large  sum  of  money  for  it.  Bishop 
Holsey  served  as  Secretary  of  the  College  of  Bishops 
for  a  number  of  years  and  as  such  wrote  most  of 
the  quadrennial  addresses  that  have  been  read  be- 
fore the  various  General  Conferences  of  the  Church. 
He  revised  the  Book  of  Discipline  of  the  Church 
and  the  Manual  of  Discipline  and  compiled  the 
Standard  Hymnal  that  is  used  extensively  in  the 
Church.  He  has  written  a  book  of  "Sermons  and 
Addresses"  and  is  regarded  as  a  writer  of  no  mean 
ability.  For  several  years  he  published  a  newspa- 
per known  as  the  Gospel  Trumpet,  of  which  he  was 
the  editor  in  chief,  and  wrote  extensively  for  other 
papers  and  monthly  magazines.  As  a  gospel  preach- 
er he  is  eloquent,  polished,  and  attractive.  He  is 
the  senior  bishop  on  the  bench  and  has  presided  over 
the  deliberations  of  the  College  of  Bishops  since  the 
death  of  Bishop  J.  A.  Beebe,  in  1902. 

Bishop  Isaac  Lane,  D.D. 

Rev.  Isaac  Lane  was  the  fifth  man  to  be  elected 
to  the  office  of  bishop  in  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America.  He  was  born  in 
Madison  County,  Tenn.,  near  Jackson,  March  3, 
1834,  and  has  maintained  his  home  in  his  native 
city.    Inasmuch  as  a  comprehensive  account  is  given 

155 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

in  another  part  of  this  book,  suffice  it  to  say  just 
here  that  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Ann 
Boyce  in  1854,  with  whom  he  lived  happily  for 
forty  years.  To  their  union  were  born  twelve  chil- 
dren, seven  girls  and  five  boys.  His  first  wife  hav- 
ing died,  he  afterwards  was  married  to  Mrs.  Mary 
E.  Smith,  of  Marshall,  Tex.  He  was  converted 
September  11,  1854,  and  joined  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  South,  the  following  October.  He 
was  granted  license  to  exhort  in  1856  and  received 
license  to  preach  shortly  thereafter.  He  was  or- 
dained deacon  in  1866  by  Bishop  Robert  Paine, 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  and  eld- 
er the  very  next  year.  He  was  made  the  presiding 
elder  of  the  Jackson  (Tenn. )  District,  which  work 
he  served  for  four  years.  He  was  afterwards  ap- 
pointed as  pastor  of  the  Liberty  Street  Church,  at 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  where  he  remained  until  the  con- 
vening of  the  General  Conference  in  Augusta,  Ga., 
in  1873,  when  he  was  elected  and  consecrated  to  the 
office  of  bishop.  He  was  the  fraternal  messenger 
to  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  South,  which  convened  in  Dallas,  Tex., 
where  he  rendered  conspicuous  service.  He  found- 
ed Lane  College,  at  Jackson,  Tenn. ;  and  because  of 
the  fact  that  it  was  the  first  school  of  the  Church  to 
be  established  and  successfully  operated  by  the 
Church,  he  is  generally  regarded  as  the  pioneer  in 
the  school  work  of  the  Church.  Mention  has  al- 
ready been  made  of  his  work  in  the  mission  and 

156 


MRS.    MARY   ELIZABETH   LONG   SMITH   LANE. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

educational  fields.  He  successfully  raised  to  splen- 
did manhood  and  womanhood  several  children,  who 
have  been  an  ornament  to  the  Church  and  a  blessing 
to  general  society.  The  following  ones  have  passed 
to  the  great  beyond,  where  "sickness,  pain,  and  death 
are  felt  and  feared  no  more":  Martha  A.  Lane 
Lancaster,  born  October  8,  1854,  died  August  25, 
1885;  Luna  A.  Lane,  born  March  29,  1869,  died 
October  20,  1882;  Isaac  Lane,  Jr.,  born  August  9, 
1865,  died  April  24,  1889;  Rebecca  Lane  Wilson, 
born  January  4,  1858,  died  December  7,  191 5; 
Charley  W.  Lane,  D.D.,  born  February  19,  1867, 
died  December  28,  1904;  William  Henry  Lane, 
M.D.,  born  February  8,  1872,  died  December  2, 
191 5.  The  following  children  are  still  living:  Mrs. 
Rachel  Lane  Berry,  the  wife  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Berry,  of 
Jackson,  Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Jennie  E.  Lane  Cleaves,  the 
wife  of  Bishop  N.  C.  Cleaves,  D.D.,  of  Memphis, 
Tenn. ;  Mrs.  Ida  M.  Lane  Burrows,  the  wife  of  Mr. 
William  Burrows,  contractor  and  builder,  Memphis, 
Tenn. ;  Mr.  Joshua  W.  Lane,  letter  carrier,  Jackson, 
Tenn. ;  Mr.  J.  F.  Lane,  A.M.,  Ph.D.,  President  of 
Lane  College,  Jackson,  Tenn.  He  often  says:  "My 
family  is  about  equally  divided  between  heaven  and 
earth;  and  whether  I  go  or  stay,  I  shall  be  with 
them  until  the  families  of  both  heaven  and  earth 
shall  join,  never  to  be  divided  again." 

Bishop  Robert  S.  Williams,  D.D. 
Bishop  Robert  S.  Williams  was  born  in  Caddo 
Parish,  La.,  October  27,  1858.     His  education  was 

159 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

obtained  at  the  common  public  schools  and  Wiley 
and  Howard  Universities.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Willie  Williams,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  October  21, 
1 89 1.  He  was  converted  and  joined  the  Church  in 
1878.  He  joined  the  Louisiana  Conference  in  1881 
and  was  transferred  at  the  same  Conference  and 
appointed  to  the  pastorate  of  our  Church  at  Long- 
view,  Tex.  In  1884  he  was  transferred  to  the  Vir- 
ginia Annual  Conference  and  appointed  to  the  pas- 
torate of  Israel  Metropolitan  Church,  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  where  he  labored  for  four  years.  From 
this  place  he  was  transferred  to  the  South  Carolina 
Annual  Conference  and  given  the  pastorate  of  Syd- 
ney Park  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
Columbia.  At  these  two  important  places  Rev. 
Williams  demonstrated  such  qualities  of  mind  and 
soul,  as  well  as  ability  to  do  constructive  work  for 
the  Master,  that  he  won  the  recognition  and  admira- 
tion of  the  Church  at  large.  From  Columbia  he  was 
sent  to  Augusta,  Ga.,  as  pastor  of  Trinity  Church, 
which  work  he  served  for  three  years.  It  was  from 
this  pastorate  that  he  was  elected  to  the  bishopric  of 
the  Church  by  the  General  Conference  which  met  in 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  May,  1894.  Rev.  R.  S.  Wil- 
liams was  one  of  the  most  successful  pastors  our 
Church  has  ever  produced.  He  was  ordained  dea- 
con by  Bishop  Lane  and  elder  by  Bishop  Miles.  He 
was  the  fraternal  messenger  of  our  Church  to  the 
African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Church  which 
met  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  a  delegate  to  the  third 

160 


11 


BISHOP  R,   S.   WILLIAMS,   D.D, 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Ecumenical  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Churches, 
which  convened  in  London,  England,  in  1901.  He 
is  a  man  of  splendid  parts.  As  a  preacher  and  lec- 
turer his  services  are  in  great  demand.  Eloquent 
and  impressive,  he  never  fails  to  make  a  deep  im- 
pression. He  has  written  a  book  of  sermons  and 
addresses  that  has  received  a  wide  circulation. 
Bishop  Williams  takes  a  keen  interest  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  uplift  of  the  race  and  has  a  host 
of  admirers  and  followers  not  only  in  the  Church, 
but  throughout  the  country,  among  all  people.  He 
is  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

Bishop  Elias  Cottrcll,  D.D. 

Bishop  Elias  Cottrell,  D.D.,  was  born  in  Marshall 
County,  Miss.,  June  31,  1853.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county  and  in 
Central  Tennessee  College,  at  Nashville,  Tenn.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Davis,  of  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  January  1,  1880.  To  their  union  was  born 
one  child,  a  daughter,  who  survives  her  mother. 
Bishop  Cottrell's  public  career  began  as  a  school- 
teacher in  his  native  county  in  1873.  He  was  con- 
verted in  August,  1874,  and  was  licensed  to  preach 
in  November,  1875.  ^n  January,  1876,  he  was  ad- 
mitted on  trial  into  the  North  Mississippi  Annual 
Conference.  Having  been  ordained  deacon  in  1877 
and  elected  and  ordained  elder  in  1878,  he  served 
some  very  important  charges.  Prominent  among 
them,    we    mention    Olive    Branch,    Miss. ;    Capers 

163 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Chapel,  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  Lamar,  Miss. ;  Byhalia, 
Miss. ;  Liberty  Street  Station,  Jackson,  Tenn. ;  Dy- 
ersburg,  Tenn.;  Brownsville  (Tenn.)  District;  Col- 
lins Chapel,  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  and  Dyersburg  Sta- 
tion. He  was  selected  Book  Agent  in  1882  at  the 
General  Conference  that  met  in  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
and  in  1890  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Commis- 
sioner of  Education  for  the  Colored  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America.  Lie  was  the  fraternal 
messenger  to  the  General  Conference  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  South,  in  1892  and  was 
elected  and  consecrated  to  the  office  of  bishop  at  the 
session  of  the  General  Conference  that  convened  in 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  1894.  As  a  preacher  Bishop 
Cottrell  has  but  few  equals.  Argumentative  and 
forceful,  he  delivers  his  message  with  great  power. 
Aside  from  his  mental  powers,  he  was  a  very  attrac- 
tive personality.  His  greatest  work  is  seen  in  the 
founding  and  establishing  of  the  Mississippi  In- 
dustrial College,  at  Holly  Springs.  He  traveled, 
preached,  lectured,  and  raised  large  sums  of 
money  for  this  work.  Under  his  magnetic  leader- 
ship the  patronizing  Conferences  have  done  a  re- 
markable work  at  Holly  Springs.  The  Bishop  re- 
sides in  Holly  Springs,  but  is  at  present  (1916)  in 
charge  of  the  Conferences  of  the  Third  Episcopal 
District. 

Bishop  Charles  Hairy  Phillips,  D.D. 
Bishop  Charles  Henry  Phillips,  LL.D.,  was  born 
in  Milledgeville,  Ga.,  January  17,   1858.     He  was 

164 


TUSHOP  ELIAS   COTXKELL,  D.D. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

educated  in  the  public  schools,  Atlanta  University, 
and  Central  Tennessee  College,  graduating  from  the 
regular  college  course  of  the  latter  institution  in 
1880  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Lucy  Ellis  Tappan,  of  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  December  16,  1880.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
he  was  converted  and  joined  the  Church  at  his  home. 
He  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Rev.  R.  T.  White 
in  1878.  He  served  as  Principal  of  Lane  Institute 
(now  Lane  College)  for  two  years  and  rendered 
splendid  service  during  that  time.  He  joined  the 
West  Tennessee  Annual  Conference  in  1879  and 
was  appointed  pastor  of  Collins  Chapel  in  1885. 
Among  the  other  large  appointments  he  filled  may 
be  mentioned  the  following:  Israel  Metropolitan 
Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Washington, 
D.  C,  for  four  years ;  Center  Street  Colored  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  Louisville,  Ky.,  for  two 
years;  and  presiding  elder  of  the  Mount  Sterling 
District  for  some  time.  In  1894  he  was  elected 
editor  of  the  Christian  Index,  the  official  organ  of 
the  Church,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  he  was 
elected  to  the  bishopric  of  the  Church  by  the  General 
Conference  which  met  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  May, 
1902.  Prior  to  his  election  to  the  bishopric  of  the 
Church,  Bishop  Phillips  had  been  a  member  of  sev- 
eral of  the  General  Conferences,  was  fraternal  mes- 
senger to  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sun- 
day School  Convention,  which  Convention  met  in 

167 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

London,  England,  in  July,  1889.  He  was  appointed 
delegate  to  the  Ecumenical  Conference  of  Method- 
ists which  met  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in  1891.  His 
address  before  that  body  elicited  much  favorable 
comment.  In  1901  he  was  again  sent  as  a  delegate 
to  the  great  Ecumenical  Conference  of  Methodism 
that  met  at  this  time  in  London,  England.  Bishop 
Phillips  has  enjoyed  splendid  educational  advan- 
tages. Besides  being  a  college  graduate,  he  is  a 
graduate  in  medicine  and  theology.  He  holds  the 
degrees  of  A.B.  and  M.D.  because  of  the  courses 
he  took  while  in  school.  Several  years  afterwards 
Wiley  University,  at  Marshall,  Tex.,  and  Philander 
Smith  College,  at  Little  Pvock,  Ark.,  conferred  upon 
him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  In 
191 6  Wilber force  University,  the  leading  school  of 
the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  conferred 
upon  the  Bishop  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  He 
is  a  fluent  speaker,  scholarly  and  dignified  in  his 
manner.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  rep- 
resentative men  of  the  Church  and  the  race.  The 
success  of  the  educational  work  in  Texas  under  his 
leadership  and  the  splendid  work  consummated  in 
establishing  and  organizing  the  Conference  in  the 
Golden  West  add  another  page  of  glory  to  his  rec- 
ord as  a  bishop.  He  is  a  strong  preacher,  an  author 
of  recognized  ability,  an  erudite  scholar,  and  a  fine 
executive.  He  presides  over  the  Fourth  Episcopal 
District. 

168 


BISHOP    C.    H.    PHILLIPS,    LL.D. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Bishop  M.  F.  Jamison,  D.D. 

Bishop  M.  F.  Jamison,  D.D.,  was  born  near 
Rome,  Ga.,  November  27,  1848.  When  but  a  boy 
his  parents  were  carried  to  Alabama,  and  of  course 
he  went  with  them.  Here  he  grew  into  manhood. 
He  had  no  chance  at  an  education,  as  during  those 
days  it  was  unlawful  for  Negroes  to  be  taught  to 
read  or  write.  He  professed  faith  in  Christ  at 
Newbern,  Ala.,  in  October,  1867,  and  in  the  very 
next  year  he  felt  a  divine  call  to  the  ministry.  He 
was  licensed  to  exhort  in  1870  and  was  licensed  to 
preach  by  one  Rev.  Mimms  in  1871.  Shortly  there- 
after he  moved  to  Texas  and  was  admitted  on  trial 
into  the  East  Texas  Annual  Conference  in  1874. 
Returning  from  the  Conference,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  M.  A.  Flennoy  January  14,  1874.  At  this 
time  he  made  his  home  near  Marshall,  Tex.,  and 
was  assigned  to  the  pastorate  of  Marshall  and  Long- 
view.  Among  the  other  charges  that  he  served  so 
faithfully  and  well,  we  might  mention  the  following, 
Sherman,  Dallas,  Fort  Worth,  and  Leesburg ;  while 
he  served  as  presiding  elder  over  almost  all  of  the 
districts  in  his  Conference.  He  became  editor  of 
the  Christian  Advocate,  a  paper  published  in  the 
State  of  Texas.  While  editor  of  the  Christian  Ad- 
vocate he  was  presiding  elder  of  the  Tyler  Dis- 
trict and  moved  the  office  of  that  paper  to  Tyler. 
Bishop  Jamison  was  a  delegate  to  the  General  Con- 
ference for  a  number  of  years  and  was  recognized 
as  a  leader  in  his  Conference.    In  1890  he  was  elect- 

171 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

ed  General  Secretary  of  the  Church  Extension  De- 
partment by  the  General  Conference  that  convened 
in  Little  Rock,  Ark.  In  1893  the  General  Board 
elected  him  editor  of  the  Christian  Index,  the 
official  organ  of  the  Church.  In  1908  Phillips 
College  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity,  and  in  19 10  he  was  elected  and 
consecrated  to  the  office  of  bishop.  During  the  past 
six  years  of  his  service  he  has  been  faithful  in  the 
discharge  of  the  many  difficult  duties  coming  to  him 
as  a  bishop.  In  Texas,  where  he  spent  the  first  four 
years  of  his  life  as  a  bishop,  he  accomplished  great 
things  for  the  educational  work  in  that  State. 

Bishop  R.  A.  Carter,  D.D. 

Bishop  Randall  Albert  Carter  was  born  at  Fort 
Valley,  Ga.,  January  1,  1867.  He  is  the  son  of 
Tobias  and  Grace  (Chivers)  Carter.  He  was  car- 
ried to  Columbia,  S.  C,  the  home  of  his  maternal 
parents,  when  a  child  and  attended  the  public  schools 
of  that  city  until  he  had  completed  the  common 
school  course.  He  was  among  the  first  students  to 
matriculate  at  the  newly  founded  Allen  University, 
of  Columbia,  S.  C,  and  attended  that  school  from 
1880  to  1884,  completing  the  normal  course  and  go- 
ing through  the  sophomore  class.  He  matriculated 
at  Paine  College,  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  the  fall  of  1887; 
completed  the  college  course  in  1891,  being  the  first 
person  to  complete  the  college  course  in  that  insti- 
tution; and  was  given  the  D.D.  degree  by  his  Alma 

IJ2 


BISHOP  M.  F.  JAMISON,  D.D. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Mater  in  1901.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Janie  S. 
Hooks,  of  Macon,  Ga.,  an  alumnus  of  Paine  Col- 
lege, April  22,  1 89 1,  from  which  union  one  child,  a 
daughter,  was  born.  He  joined  the  South  Carolina 
Annual  Conference  in  1887,  being  received  by  Bish- 
op W.  H.  Miles  at  Green  Pond,  S.  C.  He  has  pas- 
tored  some  of  the  smallest  charges,  as  well  as  some 
of  the  largest,  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  He 
was  elected  Ep worth  League  Secretary  at  the  organ- 
ization of  that  department  in  the  Colored  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  in  1898;  was  a  member  of  the 
Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  delegation  to  the  Ecu- 
menical Conference  of  Methodism  held  in  London 
in  1 90 1 ;  was  fraternal  delegate  to  the  General  Con- 
ference of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  held  at 
Chicago,  111.,  in  1900;  was  for  twenty  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Committee  on  Episcopacy  of  the  General 
Conference ;  was  chairman  five  consecutive  times  of 
the  Georgia  Conference  delegation  to  the  General 
Conference.  He  was  elected  bishop  at  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  in  May,  1914.  Bishop  Carter's  services  as  a 
lecturer  are  in  great  demand.  Clear  in  thought. 
precise  in  expression,  he  succeeds  in  impressing  his 
audiences  as  but  few  speakers  can  do.  He  is  a  writ- 
er, pulpiteer,  and  scholar.  Although  just  beginning 
his  work  as  a  bishop,  he  has  made  a  favorable  im- 
pression upon  the  Church  at  large.  He  should  ren- 
der a  large  service  to  the  Church  and  race  because  of 
the  preparation  he  has  had  for  his  life  work. 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Bishop  N.  C.  Cleaves,  D.D. 

Nelson  Caldwell  Cleaves  was  born  on  a  farm 
near  Oakland,  Fayette  County,  Tenn.,  October  7, 
1865.  He  is  the  son  of  Lilbon  and  Annie  Cleaves. 
He  attended  the  public  school  in  the  county  until 
he  was  sixteen  years  old  and  then  entered  a  private 
school  under  William  Penn  Liston,  a  highly  edu- 
cated white  man,  who  came  into  the  county  in  1883 
and  gave  his  valuable  service  to  the  uplift  of  the 
Negro.  In  1885  he  entered  Lane  College,  Jackson, 
Tenn.,  and  graduated  from  the  normal  course  in 
1887.  In  1888  he  entered  Fisk  University  in  the 
senior  college  preparatory  year,  but  left  on  the  ad- 
vice of  physicians.  Benedict  College  conferred  the 
honorary  degree  of  D.D.  upon  him  in  1912.  He 
taught  in  the  public  schools  of  Fayette  and  Madison 
Counties  for  five  years,  was  principal  of  the  city 
school  in  Minden,  La.,  and  founder  of  Minden  High 
School.  He  was  principal  of  the  English  Depart- 
ment of  Lane  College  three  years.  On  August  21/, 
1889,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  E.  Lane,  and 
to  their  union  were  born  four  children — Frances 
N.,  Shellie  B.,  Lane  C,  and  Florence  E. — all  of 
whom  survive.  He  was  converted  and  joined  the 
Colored  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  September  12, 
1882.  Following  the  impression  of  early  years,  he 
applied  for  admission  on  trial  in  the  ministry  at 
Dyersburg,  Tenn.,  in  1893.  He  was  admitted  and 
assigned  to  the  pastorate  of  the  South  Jackson  Cir- 
cuit, where  he  served  one  vear.     He  served  with 

176' 


BISHOP  R.   A,   CARTER,   D.D, 


13 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

acceptability  the  following  charges:  Lane  Chapel, 
Humboldt,  two  years;  Wesley  Chapel,  Clarksville, 
three  years ;  Collins  Chapel,  Memphis,  three  years ; 
Israel  Metropolitan  Church,  Washington,  D.  C, 
four  years;  Sydney  Park  Church,  Columbia,  S.  C, 
eight  years.  His  ministry  was  characterized  by 
peace  and  harmony,  the  ingathering  of  souls,  and 
financial  harvests.  He  served  the  Church  in  several 
representative  capacities.  The  bench  of  bishops 
appointed  him  fraternal  messenger  to  the  General 
Conference  of  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  which  met  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1900.  He 
was  Secretary  of  the  General  Board  from  1898  to 
1906,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence at  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  19 10,  and  Secretary  in 
Chief  of  the  General  Conference  at  St.  Louis  in 
1 9 14.  While  pastoring  in  Washington  he  served 
as  President  of  the  Interdenominational  Ministers' 
Alliance.  In  Columbia,  S.  C,  he  was  actively  al- 
lied with  the  Ministers'  Union,  State  Sunday  School 
Union,  Associated  Charities,  and  other  organiza- 
tions which  work  for  the  social,  civic,  and  religious 
uplift  of  the  people.  He  was  elected  bishop  by  the 
General  Conference  at  St.  Louis  May  19,  1914,  and 
was  assigned  by  the  College  of  Bishops  to  the  Sev- 
enth Episcopal  District.  He  is  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Miles  Memorial  College,  Bir- 
mingham, Ala.,  and  Mississippi  Industrial  College, 
Holly  Springs,  Miss.  He  is  a  member  of  the  South- 
ern Sociological  Congress  and  of  the  Federal  Coun- 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANK 

cil  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in  America.  Bishop 
Cleaves  is  a  pulpiteer  of  no  mean  ability.  Clear  in 
diction,  ponderous  in  thought,  and  fervent  in  speech, 
he  never  fails  to  impress  his  hearers  with  his  mes- 
sage. As  an  executive  he  takes  high  rank.  His 
Conferences  are  always  orderly,  and  his  work  is 
systematic.     His  services  are  in  great  demand. 

180 


BISHOP-  N.   C.   CLEAVES,   D.D. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Excerpts  from  a  Sermox  ox  "Faith." 

Text,  Hebrews  xi.  i :  "Now  faith  is  the  sub- 
stance of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen." 

This  entire  chapter  is  on  the  subject  of  "Faith 
and  Hope."  In  this  Epistle  the  apostle  had  been 
writing  on  the  priesthood  of  Christ,  the  excellency 
of  his  priesthood,  the  atonement,  and  the  efficacy  of 
the  sacrifice  made ;  and  now  he  comes  to  consider 
the  sublime  subject  of  the  nature  and  fruits  of  faith. 
He  begins  this  subject  with  the  sentence  we  have 
just  quoted  as  our  text. 

We  are  given  to  understand  that  faith  is  a  sub- 
stance; and,  of  course,  the  substance  is  the  princi- 
pal part  of  anything.  If  we  are  talking  about  ma- 
terial things,  the  substance  is  the  strength,  the  valor 
of  the  thing.  The  substance  of  faith  is  hope. 
Without  hope  there  can  be  no  faith.  Now,  what  is 
hope?  Hope  is  compound  in  its  meaning,  made  up 
of  the  idea  of  desire  and  the  idea  of  expectation.  It 
is  not  the  same  as  a  wish,  for  a  wish  may  be  at 
random ;  but  hope  is  a  desire  and  an  expectation 
combined.  The  two  must  be  together,  or  it  is  not  a 
hope.     It  is  also  definite. 

Faith  is  the  foundation  of  all  religions.  There 
must  be  the  idea  of  a  God,  and  there  must  be  faith 
in  his   existence   and   personality;  otherwise  there 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

can  be  no  system  of  religion  or  creed  involving  the 
idea  of  a  God.  It  is  comprehended  in  the  very  at- 
tribute of  his  nature.  It  is  God's  will  to  reveal  in 
his  plan  to  man  this  faith  and  the  hope  in  the  im- 
mortality of  his  soul. 

This  chapter  contains  a  great  many  references  to 
faith,  both  historical  and  otherwise.  By  faith  the 
elders  obtained  a  good  report.  Through  faith  we 
understand  that  the  world  was  formed  by  the  word 
of  God,  so  that  things  which  are  seen  were  not  made 
of  things  which  do  appear.  By  faith  Abel  offered 
unto  God  a  more  excellent  sacrifice  than  Cain,  by 
which  he  obtained  witness  that  he  was  righteous, 
God  testifying  of  his  gifts,  and  by  it  he  being  dead 
yet  speaketh.  By  faith  Enoch  was  translated,  that 
he  should  not  see  death,  and  was  not  found  because 
God  had  translated  him.  In  this  chapter  of  He- 
brews we  find  that  the  subject  of  faith  is  mentioned 
twenty  times,  with  reference  to  twenty  different 
kinds  of  faith.  Finally,  the  apostle  said  that  time 
would  fail  to  allow  him  to  make  mention  of  all  the 
characters  that  the  Bible  made  statement  of.  In 
fact,  there  is  so  much  on  the  subject  that  it  would 
take  a  great  deal  of  time  and  much  patience  to  at- 
tempt to  mention  all  pertaining  to  the  subject  of 
faith. 

There  are  degrees  as  well  as  qualities  of  faith. 
Faith  is  a  supplement  to  knowledge.  What  we  can- 
not know  by  the  power  within  us  to  reason,  we  may 
believe  or  have  faith  in  the  subject.    This  is  a  com- 

184 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

mon  requirement  made  of  us  in  the  study  of  history, 
the  natural  and  metaphysical  sciences.  When  we 
talk  of  natural  faith  we  mean  worldly  faith  in  things 
of  a  worldly  nature,  such  as  the  business  of  a  farm- 
er and  the  faith  he  must  exercise  in  the  carrying  on 
of  his  work.  The  Bible  says:  "He  that  ploweth 
should  plow  in  hope."  This  kind  of  faith  may  be 
exercised  in  the  regularity  of  the  laws  of  nature.  So 
all  that  we  cannot  know  that  is  necessary  for  us  to 
know  requires  faith  on  our  part. 

There  is  a  quality  of  faith  called  persuasion,  and 
it  is  seen  when  we  accept  a  notion  because  of  the 
sentiment  rather  than  the  knowledge  we  have  re- 
ceived concerning  it.  There  is  another  quality  of 
faith  which  I  call  grace.  This  is  attained  not  di- 
rectly, but  indirectly.  This  God  freely  gives  to  all. 
There  is  also  the  faith  of  grace.  But  we  are  con- 
sidering here  soul-saving  faith.  This  means  faith 
in  God;  faith  in  the  acceptance  of  a  personal  God; 
faith  in  all  the  attributes  of  God,  both  natural  and 
moral.  This  quality  of  faith  does  not  save  men,  nor 
is  it  the  means  of  salvation.  The  faith  that  effects 
the  union  between  God  and  man  is  faith  in  God's 
plan  to  save — that  is,  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
merits  of  Christ  in  the  sacrifice  which  he  made  that 
his  blood  is  the  efficacy  of  atonement.  This  is  God's 
plan.  We  are,  then,  to  accept  Christ  as  a  divine 
substitute,  for  Christ  bore  all  our  sins  in  his  own 
body  on  Calvary's  cross.  This  is  truly  the  medium 
by  which  we  have  peace   with   God.      "Therefore 

185 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."     (Rom.  v.  I.) 

We  shall  now  consider  briefly  the  doctrine  of  the 
Church  of  our  choice  on  this  subject.  We  have 
three  evidences.  First,  the  Holy  Bible.  This  is 
God's  will  revealed  to  man.  Secondly,  the  effect 
that  religion  has  on  the  world.  This  is  ofttimes 
called  external  evidence.  Thirdly,  our  own  experi- 
ence that  we  are  brought  from  darkness  into  light. 
Each  believer  can  say  for  himself  that  "I  am  a  new 
child  in  Christ,  killed  to  the  love  of  sin  and  made 
alive  in  the  love  of  Christ."  This  is  an  evidence  of 
a  personal  faith  in  the  saving  grace  of  Christ,  mak- 
ing the  soul  a  new  creature  in  Christ,  establishing  a 
communion  between  God  and  man.  Then  there  is 
faith  in  his  grace  that  he  will  bring  me  home  to 
heaven  when  this  life  is  over  and  I  am  called  to 
stand  at  his  bar  to  be  rewarded  for  work  done  in 
this  life.  I  can  then  know  that  I  am  with  him,  and 
then  I  will  be  known  "even  as  I  am  known." 

This  faith  will  condemn  and  drive  the  wicked 
away.  Christ  is  the  medium  of  happiness.  This  is 
the  faith  Enoch  had,  that  he  walked  with  God  and 
was  not,  for  God  took  him  up  to  be  at  home  in 
heaven — a  faith  that  I  will  recognize  my  kindred 
and  loved  ones  in  that  spiritual  world  out  of  the 
flesh,  out  of  this  world  with  Christ,  free  from  sin  and 
pain  and  death.  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save 
us  from  this  great  death  and  to  give  us  life  in  him, 
for  "he  that  hath  the  Son  of  God  hath  life  eternal." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Extracts  from  an  Address  on  "Holiness"  De- 
livered BEFORE  AN  ANNUAL  CONFERENCE. 

Since  the  organization  of  our  Church  I  have  held 
to  the  idea  that  a  pure  ministry  and  a  holy  member- 
ship are  the  only  hope  of  our  doing  the  work  expect- 
ed of  us  as  a  great  Church.  Holy  living  follows 
peace  with  all  mankind.  "Follow  peace  with  all 
men,  and  holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord."     (Heb.  xii.  14.) 

If  we  note  the  order  of  things,  we  find  that  the 
higher  the  order  the  greater  is  the  responsibility. 
Accordingly,  the  preacher  should  be  an  example  for 
the  flock  not  only  in  doctrine,  but  in  living  with  the 
people.  His  conversation  and  entire  dealings  should 
be  such  as  become  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  always 
having  something  helpful  to  give  the  people,  some 
noble  example  for  them  to  emulate. 

The  Methodists  have  three  special  evidences,  one 
of  which  is  experimental.  It  is  most  commonly  ex- 
pressed as  follows:  "I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
lives,  for  he  lives  in  me."  This  evidence  should 
stand  out  in  a  Methodist's  life.  With  the  Method- 
ist there  is  nothing  to  be  found  against  the  doctrine 
of  holiness,  while  on  the  other  hand  there  is  every- 
thing in  its  favor.  Our  righteousness  should  be  free 
from  every  known  sin.  If  we  love  God  with  all  our 
soul,  mind,  and  body,  and  this  love  of  God  predomi- 

187 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

nates  our  entire  being,  it  is  not  difficult  to  live  a  pure 
and  upright  life.  "Love  is  the  divinest  of  all  the 
train,"  filling  both  mind  and  soul. 

If  we  understand  Methodism,  it  means  Christian- 
ity and  earnestness.  No  one  who  seeks  to  live  a 
holy  life  has  any  argument  against  holiness,  but 
there  may  be  a  question  as  to  whether  any  one  can 
live  a  holy  life  in  this  world.  The  way  to  answer 
this  is  to  ask  whether  or  not  any  one  has  failed  to 
live  this  life  who  has  desired  it,  sought  it,  expected 
it,  and  at  the  same  time  has  lived  up  to  the  utter- 
most of  his  moral  power  to  attain  unto  it.  Now, 
when  any  one  does  not  believe  he  can  be  holy,  when 
he  begins  to  doubt  its  possibility,  there  is  no  way  by 
which  he  can  attain  unto  it.  But  let  him  desire  it, 
expect  it,  crave  it,  and  it  will  not  be  difficult  for 
him  to  live  up  to  it.  Desiring  it,  looking  for  it,  and 
using  every  power  within  us  to  reach  it  is  all  that  is 
required  of  us.  This  is  better  than  making  loud 
professions  or  demonstrations  in  words. 

God  makes  it  our  duty  and  privilege  to  be  holy; 
and  if  we  are  not,  we  alone  are  to  blame.  Our  duty 
to  God,  to  ourselves,  to  the  Church,  and  to  our 
families  is  involved  and  laid  upon  us.  Our  privilege 
to  be  holy  is  a  responsibility  we  must  meet  if  we 
please  God.  When  we  stop  and  observe  ourselves 
and  our  relation  to  each  other  and  to  our  God,  we 
can  then  more  clearly  realize  our  moral  duty  and 
opportunity.  Our  daily  prayer  should  be:  "Conse- 
crate me  now  to  thy  service,  Lord." 

188 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
A  Dissertation  ox  "Why  Baptize  Children  ?" 

The  baptism  of  children  is  a  subject  that  should 
be  considered  carefully  by  us  all.  We  are  often 
asked:  "Why  baptize  children?  WThat  good  is  there 
in  it?  What  good  will  it  do  the  child?  If  there  is 
no  good  to  be  accomplished  thereby,  it  should  be 
discontinued." 

In  reply  to  these  interesting  questions  we  ask: 
What  good  does  it  do  any  one  to  be  baptized? 
The  only  answer  that  comes  is :  "To  fulfill  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord."  Just  before  our  Lord  as- 
cended unto  heaven  he  said  to  his  disciples:  "Go  ye 
therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost:  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you:  and,  lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 
Amen." 

There  are  two  classes  of  subjects  for  baptism — 
viz.,  adults  and  infants.  Faith  is  required  of  the 
adult,  but  not  of  the  infant.  If  faith  were  required 
of  the  infant,  then  the  child  would  be  lost,  as  it  is 
not  susceptible  of  exercising  faith.  We  believe  that 
a  child  should  be  baptized,  because  Christ  said: 
"Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  for- 
bid them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
If  such  as  they  are  in  heaven,  then  they  should  have 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

a  place  in  the  Church,  his  sanctuary  on  earth.  The 
Church  on  earth  represents  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
and  as  such  the  children  should  find  a  place  in  it. 

The  question  may  be  asked:  "What  authority  have 
you  for  infant  baptism?"  To  this  question  we  may 
reply  by  simply  calling  the  attention  of  the  inter- 
rogator to  the  obligations  and  responsibility  as- 
sumed by  a  parent  to  train  "up  a  child  in  the  fear 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord,"  to  teach  the  child  the 
meaning  of  baptism,  that  it  means  his  dedication  to 
the  Lord,  and  that  it  means,  after  all,  about  as  much 
to  him  as  it  does  to  an  adult  and,  in  fact,  does  the 
infant  just  about  as  much  good  as  it  does  the  adult. 
The  parent  should  take  the  time  and  teach  the  child 
that  he  has  been  dedicated  to  the  Lord  and  to  the 
cause  of  righteousness.  If  that  child  has  the  confi- 
dence and  utmost  respect  for  his  parents,  it  will  be 
satisfied  with  its  relation  to  the  Church. 

"Infant  sprinkled  once  was  I, 
And  since  that  is  done 
I  have  laid  it  all  by" 

may  be  urged  against  the  baptism  of  children,  but 
the  same  argument  can  be  made  against  the  baptism 
of  the  adult.  The  obligations  of  the  parents  with 
respect  to  the  attitude  of  their  children  toward  the 
Church  has  always  been  great.  "Come  thou,  and 
all  thy  house,  into  the  ark,"  saith  the  Lord  to  Noah. 
"What  is  the  purpose  of  baptism?"  is  a  question 
that  is  often  asked.     Baptism  is  the  seal  of  a  cove- 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

nant  between  God  and  man,  and  as  such  it  is  God's 
plan  and  not  the  plan  of  man.  As  to  the  mode  and 
manner  in  which  it  is  to  be  done,  there  are  many 
opinions  prevailing  among  men.  We  hold  that 
there  is  no  virtue  in  how  it  is  to  be  done,  but  it  is 
necessary  for  us  to  obey  the  order.  "To  him  that  is 
able  to  believe  and  be  baptized,"  saith  the  Lord. 
How  it  is  to  be  done  is  just  where  so  many  opinions 
have  arisen.  Some  urge  that  the  word  "baptize" 
means  to  dip,  to  plunge,  or  to  bury,  while  others  hold 
to  other  views  about  the  matter.  If  I  were  to  urge 
any  question  at  all  on  this  subject,  it  would  be:  Is 
there  any  virtue  in  the  mode,  the  manner  in  which 
baptism  is  done?  John  the  Baptist  said  that  Christ 
would  baptize  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with  fire. 
Now,  did  Christ  do  what  John  the  Baptist  said  he 
would  do?  If  so,  how  did  Christ  baptize  you  ?  Was 
it  in  a  river  or  a  pool,  a  pond  or  a  creek?  Who 
took  you  down  in  it,  took  hold  of  you,  turned  your 
back,  dipped  you  down  in  it,  and  then  pulled  you  up 
out  of  it? 

You  are  to  judge  for  yourself  how  you  wTere  con- 
verted, if  that  means  baptism.  Inasmuch  as  water 
baptism  does  not  cleanse  our  hearts  of  sin,  it  does 
not  matter  very  materially  as  to  how  the  baptism 
takes  place  or  how  it  is  done. 

It  is  of  the  highest  importance,  however,  that  the 
parent  feel  the  weight  of  the  responsibility  to  God, 
the  Church,  and  the  child  to  teach  why  it  is  baptized 
and  give  the  child  the  idea  that  it  is  dedicated  to  the 

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  BISHOP  ISAAC  LANE 

Lord.  This  obligation  was  recognized  and  entered 
into  when  the  child  was  baptized.  After  the  parent 
has  received  this  obligation,  the  minister  offers  a 
prayer  after  this  manner:  "O  merciful  God,  grant 
that  the  old  Adam  in  this  child  may  be  so  buried 
that  the  new  man  may  be  raised  up  in  him.  Amen. 
Grant  that  all  carnal  affections  may  die  in  him  and 
that  all  things  belonging  to  the  Spirit  may  live  and 
grow  in  him.  Amen.  Grant  that  he  may  have 
power  and  strength  to  have  victory  and  to  triumph 
against  the  devil,  the  world,  and  the  flesh.  Amen. 
Grant  that  whosoever  is  dedicated  to  thee  by  our 
office  and  ministry  may  also  be  endued  with  heav- 
enly virtues  and  everlastingly  rewarded  through 
mercy,  O  blessed  Lord  God,  who  dost  live  and 
govern  all  things,  world  without  end.  Amen. 
Almighty,  ever-living  God,  whose  most  dearly 
beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  forgiveness  of 
our  sins,  did  shed  out  of  his  most  precious  side  both 
water  and  blood  and  gave  commandment  to  his  dis- 
ciples that  they  should  go  teach  all  nations  and 
baptize  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  regard,  we  beseech 
thee,  the  supplications  of  thy  congregation,  and 
grant  that  this  child,  now  to  be  baptized,  may  receive 
the  fullness  of  thy  grace  and  ever  remain  in  the 
number  of  thy  faithful  and  elect  children,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 

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